The following are average values for WHRs and their associations with health risks. Having a high WHR can put people at a higher risk of CVD and other conditions with links to increased weight, such as type 2 diabetes. Optimal WHR differs between sex at birth and ethnicities, according to an older report from 2008 from the World Health Organization (WHO). They can then divide this measurement by the width of their hip at its widest part.įor example, if a person’s waist is 28 inches, and their hips are 36 inches, they will divide 28 by 36, giving a WHR of 0.77. To calculate their WHR, a person should measure around their waist at the narrowest part, usually just above the belly button. For this reason, the WHR is a useful tool for calculating whether a person has a moderate weight and size. The higher the waist measurement in proportion to the hips, the greater this risk. Research has shown that people with a high WHR are more likely to develop CVD and diabetes. A high WHR indicates when an individual has higher levels of visceral fat, the fat in the abdominal cavity that surrounds several major organs. However, it should not be the only measure for an individual to assess whether their weight is ideal.Ī person’s WHR compares their waist size with that of their hips. This inaccuracy may lead to a misdiagnosis or an incorrect assessment of risk factors between individuals.īMI can offer a rough idea of whether or not a person is at a moderate weight, and it is useful for measuring trends in population studies. Studies have shown that at the same BMI, non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic Black, and Mexican Americans may have significantly different levels of body fat. They can have a high BMI because they have more muscle mass, but this does not mean they weigh too much for their height.Īnother limitation of BMI is that it does not distinguish between people of different ethnicities. For example, high-performance athletes tend to be very fit and have little body fat.
While it takes height into consideration, it does not account for factors such as: What is the problem with BMI?īMI is a very simple measurement. The CDC’s BMI charts for children use percentiles that compare measurements with boys and girls of the same age and gender. To calculate a child’s BMI, a person can use the CDC’s calculator for children and teenagers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) use both age and natal sex in its BMI calculations for people between the ages of 2–19 years. Age is not a factor in BMI for adults, but it is for children.
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