​BMI & Heart Disease?

It is not just how much fat you have, or your weight, but rather, the distribution of fat in your body that plays an important role in the development of certain diseases.

Latest scientific evidence has reported that waist-to-hip ratio may be another valuable marker, if not a greater indicator of some cardiovascular illnesses (ex. coronary heart disease, stroke) than the commonly-used measure of BMI. Elevated central or abdominal body fat (measured by waist-to-hip ratio), is significantly associated with higher risks of coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It was also shown that abdominal obesity has a stronger effect on stroke risk than BMI.

While it is difficult to disentangle the two measures, they should both be taken into account when estimating the impact of fat distribution on health and identifying patients at risk of cardiovascular diseases.

By Ms. Ayla Coussa

Clinical Dietitian