Waist Size Helps Predict Heart Risk In Teenagers

Are you sure you did the math right? If you give us the numbers, we can see if the calculator thingies really are inconsistent.

R, here is a good article that, unfortunately, gives skinfold calipers a "D" grade. And Will, I agree that body fat % would be better. This article gives measuring the "belly circumference" an "A" grade."Experts rate the best and worst in body-fat measurement devices." (MedicineNet.com / WebMD)http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=56830

Actually, people who are thinner tend to live longer, once you account for confounding factors such as smoking. The population segment with BMI's in the 20-22 range have the highest longevity, which reduces very slightly up to a BMI of 25; above 25 the reduction in longevity accelerates, with the acceleration increasing greatly past 30. This is the result of epidemiological studies involving over a million people, largely governemt funded, in multiple countries. Thank about it: how many obese 85-years olds do you know? Labelling 'skinny is healthier' a "myth" is only so much wishful thinking. Personally I wish it were the case so I would not need to watch my weight, but it's not.

Sorry, but this is a really bad article. Teenagers have NO cardiovascular risk. NONE. ZERO. None will have a heart attack in 10 years, and virtually none in 20 years. All they have is risk of having risk. And, duh, this article announces that being fat is a risk for being fat. We don't need new-fangled calculations to tell us who is fat. Height, weight, blood pressure, and just looking at a person to see if they carry extra pounds tells you all you need to know. And none of this changes the messages we give. All teens and young adults should be told to eat healthy, exercise, and stay fit. I tell all of my patients that.-- Josh

Actually most obesity studies done at major universities are funded by the NIH. Taking waist measurement has absolutely nothing to do with looking skinny. Rather, the waist-to-hip ratio has been validated as a predictor of heart disease risk. www.losingtogether.com

No, all one need do is to pinch his/her abdominal fat layer next to umbilicus between index finger and thumb. This will instantly convey the quantity of fat that kills so many. More than 1 inch is too much!

I would like to know where the money came from to back this study. Most obesity studies are funded by big pharma. There would be a lot of financial incentive to get younger and younger people using weight loss drugs or opting for expensive and risky weight loss surgeries. BMI is one of the biggest hoaxes ever perpetuated by the pharmaceutical industry as two of largest makers of weight loss drugs funded the agency responsible for it. The biggest issues we have are threefold - 1. We have created a myth that skinny is healthier. Skinny 'looks' better therefore is right. Fact is, people who are heavier live longer (on average). Our average life expectancy is still increasing in America. 2. We are far too sedentary. We simply don't exercise or move around enough. This is where the disease process starts. 3. We have created a food system based on processed food loaded with chemicals. We no longer eat real food. As a woman who will never look like the images I see reflected in media, I am tired and angry at these myths. I eat well, I work out, I'm not lazy or stupid, my health is excellent, yet I'm still considered overweight. I would encourage everyone to think about where our assumptions about fat and health come from and follow the money trail behind these studies. It's pretty eye opening.

Why not just take someone's body fat percentage? Why use all these workarounds?

This is a brief article but if you take the time to read it carefully you will discover that: - a good WHtR is less than 50% - BMI is not a good indicator at all (no relation) - heart risk was measured by HDL, LDL, cholesterol and blood pressure (all good measures)

There are four typical body types. Y X A O. The one that's getting all the bad rap is the O. You probably have something near an Y. The "fat abdomen" folk are not any of the slender body types. they are fat versions of the four body types.But one gets the most attention....that's the O.Now, the reason O gets the bad rap is because O types often run high cortisone levels. So they gain all their weight in the tummy. And this type gets a lot of the bad effects of excessive weight. Other people can load on the fat in the abdomen by eating too much and drinking too many sweet drinks. And they are also affected by many pseudohormones that are being supplied to them in their environment and particularly in their food packaging (think plastics).

The key clause in the article is "waist measurements *together with* body mass index may better predict..." The perspective is not skewed; another important factor has been studied and verified. In this case, more information is good information and adding to teenage anxieties is a risk that does not outweigh the benefits (no pun intended). Body issues are bad, but turning into a nation of sick obese people is much worse. I got over my teenage eating disorder with help from my parents, but mostly, I grew out of it mentally. Heart disease, on the other hand, is a number-one killer of bodies, and doesn't care if the body is self-confident or not.

Makes perfect sense. I see this in people and they think they don't have any health issues because their B.M.I. is normal level. A wake up call indeed.

Just an interesting side note: as a costumer for many high school productions.......are the researchers actually using a waist measurement on the waist (directly below rib cage- picture seems a little too low) and not on/above the hips? That's where almost ALL students think their waist is because of the low rise pants they all wear!

I agree, Helen. Like you, Ive always had an extra thick waist. I'm not carrying extra weight. I dont have a health issue. Mother nature gave me these proportions.Seems like these health "experts" havent studied any actual human beings enough to know that we come in different proportions. They need to wake up and take body type into account before making these damaging proclamations. Really, look around, one size does not fit all.

Not so sure. One's waist size is decided by more than fat. As an adult, I've maintained pretty much the same proportions I had as a teen. My waist has always been more than half my height. I also have broad shoulders and a broad rib cage which makes my middle portions wider than those of most females. As a teenager I agonized over not having a "tiny waist" and no matter what exercise I did or how I dieted, it never changed. Not overweight and cholesterol or heart problems even in middle age. Obesity among teens is definitely a problem these days, while it was not when I was an adolescent. The medical advice is well taken. But let's keep perspective on other factors and not give teenagers, especially girls, one more thing to make them think they are somehow inadequate.