Waist circumference: better than BMI for life expectancy?
Appearance and beauty being 2 of the pillars of the 21st century, individuals are generally concerned about their health and watch their diet as well as their lifestyle. It is with this in mind that many use the calculation of the Body Mass Index (BMI).
Yet BMI may be less reliable than waist circumference in predicting life expectancy, according to a new study from London.
Waist circumference or BMI?
A study carried out in the United Kingdom by the City University of London (1) demonstrated that the waist circumference (from its scientific term: abdominal circumference) would better help in the diagnosis of the state of health of individuals as well as to that of life expectancy in relation to BMI. In addition, this study was able to demonstrate that the BMI was biased because of the (different) silhouette of each individual.
The study was carried out on data spread over 20 years, concerning women and men (non-smokers) living in the United Kingdom.
If many people perform the BMI calculation (you can do the test yourself here ), it would turn out that the index taking into account only the height and weight of an individual turns out to be sometimes random when it comes to diagnosing the patient’s health condition. The fact remains that despite the criticisms, the Body Mass Index remains an indicator commonly used within the medical profession. Even if the waist circumference makes it possible to refine the risks with respect to life expectancy, the BMI also gives indications on this subject ( see our file relating to the different sections of the BMI ).
For example, from a BMI of 28 , the mortality rate increases for everyone . In the youngest (under 30), the mortality rate increases as soon as the BMI exceeds 25.
More or less years
According to statistics from the study. Waist circumference should not exceed half the person’s height so that life expectancy is not impacted. Clearly, if you are 170 centimeters then your waist circumference should not be more than 85 centimeters. Beyond this stage, you expose yourself to a reduced life expectancy .
The researchers in their press release specify that “ A 30-year-old woman measuring 1m63 risks dying 1.4 years earlier if she allows her waistline to increase between 50% (81cm) and 60% (97cm) of her height. If her waistline reaches even larger proportions, such as 130cm, then this woman could die 10.6 years earlier than a normal woman ”.
Dr Margaret Ashwell OBE, Director of Ashwell Associates, and Visiting Professor at Oxford Brookes University, said: ” This new study on years of life lost due to being overweight carries a simple message: make sure your waist circumference does not exceed half of your height ”.
It is therefore the WHtR (understand Waist-to-height ratio, ie the size of a person’s waist divided by their height) which would be important. However , this is not the first time that waist circumference has been put forward in relation to BMI. Already in 2008 (2) studies suggested that waist circumference was a better discriminator. Information that echoes the RTH (Hip Waist Ratio), which you can use on our site .
The press release associated with the study, however, does not specify the seriousness associated with too large a waist circumference. We know that if the waist circumference is more than 50% of the size, then life expectancy is impacted. But it is not known in what proportion a waist circumference reaching 55% of the waist is more dangerous than a waist circumference reaching 75% of the waist.
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.