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BMI or WHtR... Which is more Accurate?!

  • Writer: Dt. Rawan
    Dt. Rawan
  • Jan 22, 2024
  • 1 min read

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As we have always promised to provide you with the latest and the updated information, here is Nourishing answering your concern...


Health care providers have used BMI (Body Mass Index) for long enough to classify people wether they are underweight, overweight or obese. However, there are some limitations to apply it to all subjects. First, it does not non-differentiate between lean and fat mass. Second, it makes it hard to assess muscular and built peole. Third, it does not differentiate visceral fat from subcutaneous fat. Finally, it has special tables for children and seniors.


Far more than the use of it for us as nutritionist, but also the use of the BMI in studies to screen particepents' clinical status as MS (Metabolic Syndrome), Abdominal Obesity, Chronic Heart Disease & CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease).


WHtR (waist to height ratio) is perceived as a much more accurate method, not just comparing to BMI but also is more efficient compared to waist circumference (WC).



References:

  • Malafaia, A. B., Nassif, P. A. N., Lucas, R. W. D. C., Garcia, R. F., Ribeiro, J. G. A., Proença, L. B., Mattos, M. E., & Ariede, B. L. (2022). IS THE WAIST/HEIGHT RATIO A BETTER PARAMETER THAN BMI IN DETERMINING THE CARDIOMETABOLIC RISK PROFILE OF OBESE PEOPLE?. Arquivos brasileiros de cirurgia digestiva : ABCD = Brazilian archives of digestive surgery, 34(3), e1610. https://doi.org/10.1590/0102-672020210003e1610

  • Kim, M. S., Jung, T. K., & Kim, T. Y. (2017). Comparative Study of Body Mass Index and Waist to Height Ratio of Korean Adults by Occupations. Iranian journal of public health, 46(10), 1440–1442.




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