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Senior Citizen Health & Medicine
Waist-Hip Ratio Better Measure of Death Risk for
Older People Than BMI
Study finds Body Mass Index not the best indicator
of mortality
 August 8, 2006 - Older people with high waist-hip
ratios (WHRs) have a higher mortality risk than those with a high body
mass index, or BMI, a new study reveals. This sheds further light on the
controversial reports about obesity in the elderly and its relationship
as a cause of death. Waist Hip Ratio is calculated by dividing your
waist measurement by your hip measurement. (Read more about WHR below
news story.)
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Watch Video |
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Extreme Obesity in Women Increasing, Linked to
Greater Risk of Death -
7/04/06
»1 min 58
sec |
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on
Health & Medicine |
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Whereas justifiable attention is given to the
increasing problem of obesity in the general population, far less is
known about the relationship between obesity and mortality in older
people, or how mortality risk should be estimated.
The excess health risks associated with having a
high BMI are known to decline with age, yet expert bodies such as the
National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization have
continued to use in older people the same BMI criteria as for other age
groups.
Today's study, published in the American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition, was carried out by a team based at the London School
of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. It sought to investigate the association
of BMI, waist circumference (WC) and WHR with mortality and
cause-specific mortality.
The researchers studied 14,833 patients aged over 75
from 53 family practices in the UK; the subjects underwent a health
assessment that included taking body measurements and a follow-up (with
a median of 5.9 years) for mortality.
The findings confirmed that the current guidelines
for BMI-based risk categories overestimate the risks of excess weight in
people aged over 75 and are inappropriate for older men and women.
This concurs with a previous study that found BMIs
of 25-27 not to be a risk factor for all-cause and cardiovascular
mortality in those aged 65 and over.
Most consistently, the data highlighted the risk of
having a low BMI, with people in the lowest quintile (less than 23 in
men and less than 22.3 in women) demonstrating the highest risk of death
for total mortality and for major causes of death.
Very underweight men (those with a BMI of under
18.5) were found to be particularly at risk.
"An explanation for the lack of a positive
association with BMI and mortality at older ages is that, in older
persons, BMI is a poor measure of body fat", say the authors. "The
measurement of weight does not differentiate between fat and fat-free
mass, and fat-free mass (especially muscle) is progressively lost with
increasing age
Waist circumference (WC) has been proposed as an
alternate or additional measure of obesity, but this study found no
association with waist circumference and mortality.
The authors continue: "A limitation of WC alone as
a measure is that it takes no account of body composition, whereas WHR
is a measure of body shape and to some extent of lower trunk adiposity
[abdominal fat].
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About BMI |
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Obesity diagnosis and treatment are typically based
on body mass index (BMI).
Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body weight
relative to height. You can use BMI to see whether you are underweight,
normal weight, overweight, or obese.
To easily check your BMI use
our handy table - click here.
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Although it is possible theoretically for high WHR
to coexist with thinness, our data show that those with high WHR had
higher-than-average waist and average hip circumferences.
We conclude that the association observed for WHR
and mortality is probably explained by abdominal adiposity".
Note: adiposity is fat found in tissue just below
the skin and surrounding major organs, acting as an energy reserve and
providing insulation and protection.
The authors recommend that the current BMI-based
health risk categories to define the burden of disease related to adult
overweight and obesity be reviewed, as they are not appropriate for
those over 75.
They suggest that WHR should instead be used in this age
group because of its positive relation with risk of death, and that
attention should also be paid to the problem of underweight in old age.
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About Waist-Hip Ratio |
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From
Anne Collins Weight Loss Program
Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) looks at the proportion of
fat stored on your body around your waist and hip. It is a simple but
useful measure of fat distribution. Most people store their body fat in
two distinct ways: around their middle (apple shape) and around their
hips (pear shape).
Waist-Hip Ratio and Health Risk
Having an apple shape (carrying extra weight around
the stomach) is riskier for your health than having a pear shape
(carrying extra weight around your hips or thighs). This is because body
shape and health risk are linked. If you have more weight around your
waist you have a greater risk of lifestyle related diseases such as
heart disease and diabetes than those with weight around their hips.
Waist-Hip Ratio and Obesity
Even so, overall
obesity is still of greater risk than where fat is distributed or
stored on your body. Other important measurements are Body Mass Index
(BMI) and percentage of body fat.
How to Calculate Waist-Hip Ratio
Waist Hip Ratio is calculated by dividing your
waist measurement by your hip measurement. (Hips are the widest part of
your butt).
Best Waist-Hip Ratio for Men and Women
> Ideally, women should have a waist-to-hip ratio of
0.8 or less.
> Ideally, men should have a waist-to-hip ratio of
0.95 or less.
Go to the Anne Collins Weight Loss Program page to
automatically calculate your WHR -
click here.
> Home page for Anne Collins Weight Loss Program -
click here.
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