Mixed
A Body Shape Index (ABSI), calculated as waist circumference adjusted for height and BMI, independently predicts increased mortality hazard, whereas BMI and waist circumference alone do not show significant independent predictive power when ABSI is accounted for.
To assess your mortality risk more accurately than using BMI or waist circumference alone, calculate your A Body Shape Index (ABSI). ABSI is calculated by dividing your waist circumference (in meters) by the product of your BMI (to the power of 2/3) and your height (to the power of 1/2). A higher ABSI indicates a higher relative risk of mortality, independent of your overall weight. This metric is particularly useful for distinguishing between the risks of high visceral fat and high muscle mass.
Death rates increased approximately exponentially with above average baseline ABSI (overall regression coefficient of z33% per standard deviation of ABSI [95% confidence interval: z20%– z48%]), whereas elevated death rates were found for both high and low values of BMI and WC.
Why this rating
Large prospective cohort study (n=14,105) with long follow-up and adjustment for confounders, but observational design limits causal inference.
Source
A New Body Shape Index Predicts Mortality Hazard Independently of Body Mass Index
Nir Y. Krakauer et al. · PLoS ONE · 2012
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0039504
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