BMI and Waist circumference - The New Definition of Obesity

This is the most established and widely used measurement and is defined as:


The current WHO classification states that the cut-off points for overweight and obesity is 25 and 30 kg/m2 respectively. However, it has become increasingly clear that there is a high prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular risk factors in parts of Asia below those cut-off points. Evidence from several Asian countries are now available including Hong Kong , Singapore, China, India, and Japan to show that the risk of co morbidities begin to rise at lower BMI values. Many Asian populations have a higher body fat percent at similar BMI, compared with Caucasian/European populations. Thus, based on current evidence, the following classification of weight by BMI according to risk of co-morbidities is recommended.

BMI (kg/m2) Classification ( Risk of co-morbidities)
<18.5 -Underweight ( Low but increased risk of other clinical problems)
18.5–22.9 - Normal ( Average)
23.0–24.9 - Overweight ( Increased)
25.0–29.9 - Obese I (Moderate )
≥ 30.0 - Obese II (severe)


Waist circumference


Waist circumference (WC) measurement is simple, reliable, and correlates well with abdominal fat content irrespective of the BMI. WC is also an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. It is most useful in individuals who are in the normal and overweight categories of the BMI. In those with BMI > 35 kg/m2 it is unnecessary to measure WC as it looses its predictive value.


The current WHO recommendations suggest that the WC of 94 cm and 80 cm is associated with an increased risk in man and woman respectively. However, it has become increasingly clear that there is a high prevalence of type 2 diabetes melitus and cardiovascular risk factors in parts of Asia below those cut-off points. Evidence from several Asian countries are now available including Hong Kong, Singapore and China. Thus, based on current evidence, the following waist circumference is associated with an increased risk

Men> 90 cm (35.5")
Women> 80 cm (31.5")


more articles about Waist circumference: http://bmi-formula.blogspot.com/2008/11/bmi-and-waist-circumference.html

http://nutritional-pyramid.blogspot.com/