Research
Hormonal
Central adiposity (measured by waist-to-hip ratio) is a stronger predictor of cardiometabolic risk than overall body mass index (BMI), primarily due to visceral fat and limited subcutaneous storage capacity leading to ectopic lipid deposition.
Don't just look at the scale. Where you store fat is critical. Excess fat around your waist (visceral fat) is biologically active and releases harmful substances that lead to diabetes and heart disease, even if your overall weight is normal. Measuring your waist circumference is a better indicator of risk than BMI alone.
StrongQualifiesHIGH confidence
Genetic data have also indicated that fat distribution likely better predicts cardiometabolic risk than BMI. Increased central and/or reduced leg fat (clinically assessed by WHR) has been causally implicated in increased risk for type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, increased triglyceride-rich lipoprotein, fatty liver disease, and coronary artery disease.
Why this rating
Supported by genetic studies and MR analyses showing causal links between fat distribution and metabolic traits.
Source
Obesity and Cardiometabolic Disease: Insights From Genetic Studies
Satya Dash · Canadian Journal of Cardiology · 2025
DOI 10.1016/j.cjca.2025.01.034
narrative_reviewCited 7×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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