Abdominal Obesity - Measurement

Measurement

There are various ways of measuring abdominal obesity including:

• Absolute waist circumference (>102 cm in men and >88 cm in women)
• Waist–hip ratio (the circumference of the waist divided by that of the hips of >0.9 for men and >0.85 for women)
• Index of Central Obesity
• Sagittal Abdominal Diameter

In those with a BMI under 35, intra-abdominal body fat is related to negative health outcomes independent of total body fat. Intra-abdominal or visceral fat has a particularly strong correlation with cardiovascular disease.

Men are considered to be at high risk from abdominal obesity if their waist measurements are 40 inches (102 cm) or higher. On the other hand, women are considered to be at high risk if their waist measurements are 35 inches (89 cm) or higher. BMI and waist measurements are well recognized ways to characterize obesity. However, waist measurements are not as accurate as BMI measurements. For this reason, it is recommended to use both methods of measurements.