Waist to Height Ratio Is a Simple and Effective Obesity Screening Tool for Cardiovascular Risk Factors: Analysis of Data from the British National Diet and Nutrition Survey of Adults Aged 19–64 Years

Vol. 2, No. 2, 2009

Article (PDF 158 KB)

Original Article

Waist to Height Ratio Is a Simple and Effective Obesity Screening Tool for Cardiovascular Risk Factors: Analysis of Data from the British National Diet and Nutrition Survey of Adults Aged 19–64 Years
Margaret Ashwell^a, Sigrid Gibson^b

^a Ashwell Associates (Europe) Ltd, Ashwell,
^b SiG-Nurture Ltd, Guildford, UK

Address of Corresponding Author

Obes Facts 2009;2:97-103 (DOI: 10.1159/000203363)

Key Words

Central obesity
Central fat distribution
Waist to height ratio
Waist circumference, BMI
Cardiovascular CVD risk factors

Summary

Objective and Method: To analyse data from the nationally representative National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) collected in 2000/2001 and to investigate how the BMI and two proxy indicators of central fat distribution, namely the waist circumference and the waist to height ratio (WHtR), are associated with each other and with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. Results: Screening health risk by BMI alone would ‘miss’ 35% of men and 14% of women who are within the normal BMI range (18.5–25 kg/m²) but have central fat distribution, defined by WHtR > 0.5. In the total population this equates to 17% of all men and 6% of all women who would be inadequately screened by BMI alone. Compared to BMI, WHtR was more closely associated with CVD risk factors among both men and women. Furthermore, in a combined analysis of men and women, central fat distribution with a normal BMI was associated with higher levels of CVD risk factors than being overweight without central fat distribution. Conclusion: WHtR is a simple and effective, non-invasive screening tool for CVD risk factors. Our proposed boundary value of 0.5 translates into a simple public health message: ‘Keep your waist circumference to less than half your height’.

Author Contacts

Dr. Margaret Ashwell OBE, Ashwell Associates (Europe) Ltd, Ashwell Street, Ashwell, Hertfordshire, SG7 5PZ, UK, Tel. +44 1462 74-2166, Fax -3166, margaret@ashwell.uk.com

Article Information

Published online: March 31, 2009
Number of Print Pages : 7

Cited in Web of Science®

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