Body mass index, waist hip ratio, and waist circumference: which measure to classify obesity?

Abstract

Body mass index, waist hip ratio and waist circumference all have a role in the identification of those who are obese or overweight.

Population Comparison of Two Clinical Approaches to the Metabolic Syndrome

“…RESULTS -The demographic and anthropometric characteristics of the sample population have been previously described (3,9). The metabolic syndrome was found in 22.8% using the IDF definition (men 26.4%, women 15.7%) and in 15.0% with the ATP III definition (men 19.4%, women 14.4%).…”

Central obesity is associated with nonatopic but not atopic asthma in a representative population sample

“…8,11 Obesity phenotype may be an important component in the obesity-asthma association given that BMI criteria have the potential to misclassify individuals considered obese by WC, for example. 22,23 Furthermore,…”

Central Adiposity, Body Mass Index and Percent Body Fat among Bengalee Hindu Male Slum Dwellers of Dum Dum, West Bengal, India

“…However, the accumulation of body fat in the abdominal region is now established to be more predictive of health risks than in other regions of body or overall adiposity as measured by BMI [47,48]. BMI, WHR, and WC all have been shown to have significant role in identification of obese and overweight individuals [3]. BMI is a measure of overall adiposity and the Asian Indians tend to have comparatively more body fat and its centralised deposition at a lower level of BMI [12].…”

“…Studies indicate that BMI, WC and WHR could be used independently to identify overweight and obesity [3]. These measures of adiposity have also been widely recommended for epidemiological surveys because of their independent association with major cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors.…”