Biometric Screening: Waist Circumference & BMI
A biometric screening is a set of laboratory tests and body measurements that help determine metabolic health. Many Americans complete a biometric screening annually, at their doctor’s office, a convenience clinic or perhaps even at their worksite. But many never receive much guidance around the results. This post is part of a five part series that will help you interpret your results and determine whether you need to take action to improve your metabolic health.
Part Four: Waist Circumference & BMI
Part Four: Waist Circumference & BMI
What is Waist circumference and BMI?
Waist circumference is exactly what it sounds like. To measure, take a measuring tape and start at your belly button. Wrap it around your body, parallel to the ground, until you reach your belly button again. Check how many inches it took to get around - that’s your waist circumference. High waist circumference indicates a high amount of fat in the abdominal area. This is more interesting than, say, fat in your butt or arms because most of your major organs are located in your abdomen. In fact, a high waist circumference often indicates that you are storing fat INSIDE of your organs, rather than in fat cells where it belongs.
BMI is slightly more complicated, but it’s really just a simple mathematical equation that compares your height to your weight. Measure your height in inches and your weight in pounds, and then plug them into the following equation to find your BMI.
weight / [height x height] x 703
On its surface, BMI makes sense. It’s answering the simple question “are you an appropriate weight for your height?” But here’s the catch - weight takes into account EVERYTHING inside your body. Your bones, your muscles, your hair, your blood, feces in your colon, urine in your bladder, all of your organs, and yes, your fat mass. It turns out that BMI is an excellent way to predict the health of a population: in America, approximately 70% of adults have a BMI that is classified as overweight or obese, and indeed, America’s obesity-related health conditions are off the charts. But on an individual level, BMI, especially borderline overweight BMIs, are a poor predictor of health outcomes. Put me in a crowded room and I guarantee you I can spot a fit individual with a lot of muscle mass whose BMI is technically “overweight.” Of course, if your BMI has been increasing year-over-year and you haven’t so much as picked up a dumbbell, then yes, there might be a problem.
What should your waist circumference & BMI Be?
Waist Circumference Guidelines
For women, waist circumference should be < 35 inches
For men, waist circumference should be < 40 inches
Regardless of whether you fall under the recommended limits, if this number has been creeping up year-over-year, there is cause for concern.
BMI Guidelines
The official BMI categories are listed below. But remember, plenty of metabolically sick people will fall into the “healthy range,” and plenty of fit, healthy people will fall into the “overweight range.”
Underweight: <18.5
Healthy Weight: 18.5 - 24.9
Overweight: 25 - 29.9
Obese: 30+
Should You Worry?
A high or increasing waist circumference is cause for concern. In a metabolically healthy person, excess energy will be stored as fat, in fat cells. It’s only when the body is overwhelmed with excess energy that it resorts to storing fat inside of organs. Once organs like your liver and pancreas become infiltrated with fat stores, they cannot function properly. This is often the final straw before the development of full blown type 2 diabetes.
If your BMI is marginally high, it’s certainly worth having investigative bloodwork done to see if there is cause for concern. Frankly, even people in the healthy range should have bloodwork done periodically to determine if there is any hidden metabolic issue. If your BMI is very high, or has been climbing for no apparent reason, then yes, there is cause for concern. From a metabolic disease standpoint, excess weight is often the first outward signal that things are malfunctioning.
What should you do?
Technically weight gain is a symptom of metabolic disease, not the cause, but it is not a symptom you should ignore. If your waist circumference or BMI are rising, your body is trying to tell you something. It’s my job to help my patients figure out what the body is saying. Lab work, deep dives into diet and lifestyle practices, medication reviews, family medical history - these are just a few of the clues we’ll use to determine the root cause of the weight gain. More often than not we focus on reducing insulin levels, but that looks different for every patient.
It’s helpful to have a care team on your side that can help you create a plan that is tailored to you. Click here to learn more about working with Tera to improve your metabolic health today.