Do you have insulin resistance? Get your tape measure ready!
When it comes to numbers and our health, body weight is the first number which comes to mind for most people. Many of us have a goal weight we aspire to reach, perhaps recalling a more youthful stage of our lives. However, if the goal is to maximize overall health, weight may not be the best number to target.
Many people have heard of the Body Mass Index (BMI), a formula calculated with weight and height, which doctors use to categorize adults as underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese. These weight categories are further used to assign a risk level for many common diseases such as heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure and diabetes. However, the weight-based BMI is falling out of favor as a flawed and outdated health metric. Read more about the history and limitations of the BMI formula here and here.
A person’s body composition (percentages of muscle, fat, bone, etc.), body fat distribution (apple or pear shaped body) and risk of diseases may vary significantly based on race, ethnicity and gender, none of which are factored into BMI. For example, BMI may over-predict obesity-related health risks for African-Americans (who tend to have a higher percentage of muscle mass), under-predict for Asians (who tend to develop these diseases with thicker waistlines but lower BMIs) and incorrectly categorize muscular women as overweight or obese.
The “apple-shaped” distribution of body mass (large waist) corresponds to higher amounts of visceral fat (fat stored around internal organs) which is more dangerous than subcutaneous (surface) fat. Central obesity is associated with increased risk of insulin resistance and associated diseases such as heart attack, stroke and type 2 diabetes across diverse populations. Waist circumference, especially when paired with height, is a better health metric across races, ethnicities, genders and ages.
Waist to height ratio (WHtR) is easy to measure with a tape measure and can be used for disease risk assessment for all adults and children above 6 years old. A healthy waist to height ratio (waist circumference in inches divided by height in inches) is no more than 0.5. In other words, we should aim for our waist circumference to be no more than half our height. For the average height 5 feet 4 inch (64 inch) US female, a healthy waist circumference should be no more than half of the height of 64 inches, which is 32 inches or less.
Don’t throw out your bathroom scale, but just remember to keep your tape measure handy, too! Aim for 0.5 (waist circumference no more than half your height)!
If you are interested in improving your waistline and reducing your risk for disease, please schedule a free visit with Mind Over Metabolism.