Adherence
Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) is the most accurate anthropometric predictor of whole-body fat percentage and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) mass compared to BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and waist/height^0.5.
Measure your waist circumference and your height. Divide your waist size by your height. If the result is 0.53 or higher for men, or 0.54 or higher for women, you likely have excess body fat or visceral fat, even if your BMI says you are normal weight. This simple ratio is a better indicator of health risk than BMI or waist-to-hip ratio. Aim to keep this ratio below these thresholds to reduce cardiometabolic risk.
The best predictor of both %FM and VAT mass in men and women was WHtR.
Why this rating
The study uses gold-standard DXA imaging but has a small sample size (n=81) and is limited to a predominantly Caucasian population.
Source
Prediction of whole-body fat percentage and visceral adipose tissue mass from five anthropometric variables
Michelle Swainson et al. · PLoS ONE · 2017
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0177175
Related findings · Adherence
- Regular physical activity (at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity) reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality by 20-30% and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes by 25-35%.Strong
- Increasing physical activity from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one in middle adulthood significantly reduces the risk of coronary events compared to remaining sedentary.Strong
- Resistance exercise is the only intervention capable of consistently restoring muscle function and strength in sarcopenia, partially overcoming age-related anabolic resistance.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →