Obesity. Pot Bellies lead to increased heart risk
After examining more than 2,700 men and women with an average age of 45, scientists at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre in Dallas found that those with even a little fat around their waists were significantly more vulnerable to heart disease, even if their overall weight was normal.
Their findings, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), may come as a shock to many who would not consider themselves fat. But they reinforce a growing belief among medical experts that waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is a more accurate measure of healthy shape than the widely used body mass index (BMI).
BMI, which is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in metres squared, gives an overall indication of heaviness compared with height. But according to BMI measurements, well-toned specimens from Brad Pitt to the rugby star Jonah Lomu would be classed as overweight, and increasing numbers of experts are now questioning BMI’s usefulness.
The new study by James de Lemos and his team adds credibility to the theory that WHR is a more accurate means of measuring heart-disease risk because it identifies potentially dangerous “central obesity” even in those who are not overweight.
