Pesarsi is not enough (anymore). To understand if you are overweight, you need to measure your waist: a US study has shown that by evaluating only the body mass index, for which the ratio between weight and the square of height is calculated,53 percent of overweight people “escape” the diagnosis.
Overweight, here’s how to measure it
Also for this reason the experts of the Italian Society of Endocrinology have proposed to support it at least with the measure the waist with a tape measure. “In doing so, the error is reduced by 23 percent and only one overweight out of three is “deceiving”” says Anna Maria Colao, former president of Sie.
«Body mass index does not distinguish between water, bone mass, muscle mass and fat tissue. Furthermore, it does not take into account gender differences that affect the location and danger of fat: women have more subcutaneous fat on their hips and thighs, men accumulate visceral fat more easily, the “bacon”, which is more dangerous.
Mid section of conscious woman measuring her waist
Using only the body mass index leads to overestimation of obesity in women and to underestimate it in men». Plicometry, in which a special instrument “pinches” skin folds, is also a more accurate and useful method for assessing body composition.
Overweight can be seen from the waist
But to understand if the flab is too much and above all if it has accumulated where it shouldn’t the waist is measured: in women it must be less than 80 centimeters, in men it must be 94 centimeters. “The body mass index can make sense for obesity screening, in the individual it is better to combine the scale with the tape measure” concludes Colao.
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