Waist to hip ratio is better as a predictor of heart attack than body mass index (BMI): Does that mean we should abandon the BMI?

January 17, 2008

Waist to hip ratio is better as a predictor of heart attack than body mass index (BMI): Does that mean we should abandon the BMI?:

Remember, if your BMI is elevated (above 25), you should (really, you must) check your blood pressure, blood glucose (sugar), and cholesterol level. If you are overweight, keeping them in the normal range (especially the blood pressure) is, health wise, very important.

Doctor’s Comment:
No! We should not give up on BMI.

People who have a high basal metabolic index ( BMI ) do have increased risk for all sorts of diseases ( if you don’t now yours go to out BMI Calculator ). You can have a high BMI with out having an unhealthy waist to hip ratio. This is because people carry weight in different patterns. If you carry your weight in your upper body and you have a high BMI, then you will probably have an unhealthy waist to hip ratio