Waist-to-Hip Ratio May Offer Better Indicator of Obesity, Health Over BMI

BMI measurements may drastically underestimate obesity rates among U.S. adults, new research suggests. Thomas Barwick/Getty Images. A growing body of evidence suggests that a waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) measurement is a better indicator of obesity and health than body mass index (BMI). New research suggests that BMI measurements may be significantly underestimating the number of U.S. adults with obesity, which can lead to other chronic diseases. Experts say obesity misdiagnoses may be preventing people from getting the treatments that they need. New research suggests that body mass index (BMI) may be drastically underestimating the number of people in the United States with obesity. Around a quarter of people considered to have a healthy BMI measurement may actually meet the standard of having obesity, which raises the risk of various chronic health conditions. Researchers say that half of those classified as “overweight” based on their BMI should be reclassified as having obesity. The findings were published on June 1 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The authors said that measurements of abdominal fat may be better indicators of obesity. They noted that people who are misdiagnosed based on BMI may not be getting the medical intervention they need or qualify for pharmacologic or surgical treatments for obesity. In addition, physicians may not flag these patients as needing lifestyle modifications that could improve their health. “Many people assume that if their BMI says they are not obese, they don’t have to worry about the many health problems linked to obesity,” said Brian P. Lee, MD, a hepatologist and liver transplant specialist with Keck Medicine and principal investigator of the study, said in a statement. “Our findings show that millions of Americans may already have obesity-related health impacts and may be missing needed health interventions.” BMI may not accurately measure obesity For their study, researchers from Keck Medicine at the University of Souther