CHECKING your child’s waist-to-height ratio is a better measure of if they’re obese than body mass index (BMI), a study shows.
The simple test — which can be checked with a piece of string — detected excess fat in kids and teens more accurately than BMI, researchers found.
GettyChecking your child’s waist-to-height ratio is a better measure of if they’re obese than BMI, a study shows[/caption]
Dr Andrew Agbaje, of the University of Eastern Finland, said: “This study provides new information that would be useful in updating future childhood obesity guidelines and policy statements.
“The average waist circumference-to-height ratio in childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood is 0.45, it does not vary with age and among individuals like BMI.
“Waist circumference-to-height ratio might be preferable to BMI assessment in children and adolescent clinics as an inexpensive tool for detecting excess fat.”
One in 10 children aged four to five were obese in England last year, while a further 12 per cent were overweight.
The numbers were higher in children aged 10 to 11, with nearly a quarter obese and 14.3 per cent overweight in the same year.
Experts have raised concern about soaring levels, with hospital admissions for obesity in under-17s surging 40 per cent in a year in 2021 to 2022.
The NHS announced last year it is setting up 10 more clinics for obese children to cope with bulging demand.
Obesity is linked with a range of deadly conditions, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and various forms of cancer.
BMI is worked out solely by your height and weight, and can only tell you how much weight you have, rather than breaking it down into muscle and fat.
People with a “healthy” BMI can still carry too much visceral fat.
Previous research has shown waist-to-height ratios are a good way of measuring obesity and heart risk.
BETTER MEASURE
The latest study, published in Pediatric Research, looked at how effective it is in children.
Researchers measured fat mass of 7,237 children when they were aged nine, 11, 15, 17 and 24 to see how well the measure predicted obesity.
They found that waist-to-height ratio was a better indicator of how fat children were compared to BMI.
Dr Agbaye said: “Parents should not be discouraged by the BMI or weight of their children but can inexpensively confirm whether the weight is due to increase in excess fat by examining their kid’s waist circumference-to-height ratio.”
How to measure your waist-to-height ratio with a piece of string
Your waist measurement should be no more than half your height.
All you need to do is take a piece of string and cut it to the same length as your height.
Next you need to fold it in half, then wrap it around your waist.
If the string meets or overlaps then you are a healthy weight, but if you can’t make the ends meet then your visceral fat levels are too high.