Mixed
Using a waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) threshold of 0.5 identifies significantly more adults with 'early health risk' (normal-weight central obesity) than the standard BMI and waist circumference matrix, which currently misclassifies these individuals as low risk.
Measure your waist circumference and divide it by your height. If the result is 0.5 or higher, you are at 'early health risk' even if your BMI is in the 'healthy' range. This is a simple, low-cost screening method that identifies risks (like high blood pressure or cholesterol) that standard BMI charts miss. Use a tape measure; if you don't have one, a piece of string works too.
Use of a simple boundary value for WHtR (0.5) identifies more people at ‘early health risk’ than does a more complex ‘matrix’ using traditional boundary values for BMI and WC.
Why this rating
Based on a large, nationally representative cross-sectional survey (NDNS, n=1453) with regression adjustments for confounders, though it is observational.
Source
Waist-to-height ratio as an indicator of ‘early health risk’: simpler and more predictive than using a ‘matrix’ based on BMI and waist circumference
Margaret Ashwell et al. · BMJ Open · 2016
DOI 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010159
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