People concerned about heart disease and diabetes should simply take their height and waist measurements to figure out their risk, say British researchers.
Ideally, all should aim to keep their waist measurement less than half that of their height, found the scientists. That means a 6ft (72 inch) tall man should aim to keep his waist less than 36 inches, while a 5ft 4in (64 inch) woman should keep hers under 32 inches. They have found that the easy-to-calculate ratio between the two is a better predictor of risk than the most widely measure of obesity, called body mass index (BMI).
The team, who analysed the health of some 300,000 people, found this ratio was a better predictor of high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes than body mass index. While BMI is used almost universally in the medical profession, most people are unfamiliar with it, partially because it is not a straightforward calculation. BMI is calculated by taking one’s mass in kilograms and dividing it by the square of one’s height in metres. Dr Margaret Ashwell, former science director of the British Nutrition Foundation, and now an independent consultant, spearheaded the study. “Keeping your waist circumference to less than half your height can help increase life expectancy for every person in the world,” she said. The ratio was also better than just taking a waist measurement, she added, as it took into account differing height between individuals and ethnic groups. While BMI was a useful indicator, it failed to take into account the distribution of fat throughout the body. Abdominal fat, around the heart, liver and kidneys, has been found to be worse than that on the bottom and hips, in terms of heart disease and diabetes. Dr Ashwell suggested the waist-to-height ratio should be considered as a screening tool.
nice knowledge
Comments are closed.