Another tool used to evaluate weight is your waist circumference. This is an especially helpful tool for people who are classified as overweight based on their BMI. Those “love handles” - as some people jocularly call the extra fat around the waist!-are predictors of health problems. Having information about waist circumference coupled with BMI gives extra insight into how serious a health problem overweight really poses.

It’s better to be pear-shaped rather than to have an apple-shaped silhouette. This is true even if your BMI shows you at a healthy weight. To obtain a proper measurement, stand up and measure around your waist, just above your hipbones. The more your waist measurement increases, the greater would be your health risks. If you are a woman whose waist measures more than 35 inches or a man whose waist measures more than 40 inches, you may be at greater risk for health problems including diabetes, high blood fats, high blood pressure and heart disease. This is true even if your BMI shows you at a healthy weight. Now, look at your overall health and decide what role your weight has and what you should work on to improve your health.

If you have a BMI of 25 to 30 and waist circumference of greater than 35 (for women) or 40 or more (for men) and one or more risk factors, or yonr BMI is greater than 30 and you have one or more risk factors, then you need to work with your doctor to develop a weight management plan that is part of your overall good health. Together you and your doctor will decide which goals you should tackle first and how to accomplish them.

For example, both you and your doctor may agree that quitting smoking while maintaining your weight is of more immediate concern than losing weight. Then, once you have reached your first goal, you can reach for the next.

Share This