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Declare Freedom from the BMI(Body Mass Index )myth
October 20, 2007 at 5:06 PM
Diet & Nutrition News
Body mass index didn't hold the same association. "There's a much deeper association between waist-and-hip ratio and atherosclerosis than we saw for body mass index and atherosclerosis," he said.
Waist-to-hip ratio is calculated by dividing the circumference of your waist by your hips. Women should get a number below 0.8, and the healthy ratio for men is below 0.95. More belly fat results in higher ratios.
Excess fat around the belly can be dangerous for the heart because it behaves differently in the body. "It's very biologically active," de Lemos said, "and the fat on the hips seems to be at least inert and maybe even protective."
Few people have an ideal waist-to-hip ratio, de Lemos said, including those with a BMI in the normal range. While small changes to reduce waist circumference, and therefore the waist-to-hip ratio, can be helpful and are worth aiming for, he said, the associated risk is also small. "This isn't something that should panic people."
Labels like "overweight" and "obese" can lead to panic too, Harding argued. They can also be stigmatizing, she said, when a person feels and looks healthy but has a BMI that places them in the "overweight" or "obese" category. "I think a lot of people are beating themselves up."
Some insurance companies in the United States now use BMI to classify risk, and adjust their rates accordingly, which means that a person with a body mass index of 25 or 30 may pay more for health insurance than one with a BMI of 23. If a person is 5'6", the difference between a BMI of 23 and 25 is 7.5 pounds.
In her writing, Harding advocates the concept of "Health At Every Size" which focuses on exercise and intuitive eating instead of dieting, focusing on wellness and fitness as a goal instead of thinness, and saying that fat doesn't necessarily equal unhealthy.
Source: Reuters
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