This New Measurement May Change How We Gauge Health

You Should Know: Body mass index (BMI) has long been the standard metric of health, despite years of research showing that it’s pretty flawed. Emerging research suggests there’s a more accurate measure: your waist-to-height ratio. 

Going Deeper: BMI is a calculation of your weight relative to your height. Here’s the problem: “Weight-based shame” surrounding BMI can delay patients from seeking care or disqualify them from getting surgery or other treatment because their BMI deems them too heavy. Critics say BMI isn’t completely accurate, either. It doesn’t consider race, gender, or age. It also can’t distinguish between fat and muscle or identify more dangerous visceral fat in the abdomen. 

Takeaway: Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) is determined by dividing your waist size by your height. A WHtR of 0.5 or more indicates an increased risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease. Research has found that people whose BMIs were under 30 (so, not “obese”) still had a higher risk of heart disease if their WHtR was 0.5 or higher.

Bottom Line: Measuring WHtR isn’t standard procedure for many physicians yet, but you can easily check it yourself with a tape measure. The number isn’t diagnostic, but it’s a good data point to share with your doctor.