Waist circumference as a measure for indicating need for weight management

TLDR

The study tests whether waist circumference alone can identify individuals at health risk from overweight or central fat distribution. Researchers sampled 904 men and 1,014 women, plus a validation cohort of 86 men and 202 women from North Glasgow, measuring waist circumference, BMI, and waist‑hip ratio. Waist circumference thresholds of ≥94 cm (men) / ≥80 cm (women) and ≥102 cm / ≥88 cm identified high BMI or high waist‑hip ratio with >96 % sensitivity and >97.5 % specificity, misclassifying only ~2 %, supporting its use in weight‑management programs.

Abstract

<h3>Abstract</h3> <b>Objective</b>: To test the hypothesis that a single measurement, waist circumference, might be used to identify people at health risk both from being overweight and from having a central fat distribution. <b>Design</b>: A community derived random sample of men and women and a second, validation sample. <b>Setting</b>: North Glasgow. <b>Subjects</b>: 904 men and 1014 women (first sample); 86 men and 202 women (validation sample). <b>Main outcome measures</b>: Waist circumference, body mass index, waist:hip ratio. <b>Results</b>: Waist circumference &gt;/=94 cm for men and &gt;/=80 cm for women identified subjects with high body mass index (&gt;/=25 kg/m²) and those with lower body mass index but high waist:hip ratio (&gt;/=0.95 for men, &gt;/=0.80 women) with a sensitivity of &gt;96% and specificity &gt;97.5%. Waist circumference &gt;/=102 cm for men or &gt;/=88 cm for women identified subjects with body mass index &gt;/=30 and those with lower body mass index but high waist:hip ratio with a sensitivity of &gt;96% and specificity &gt;98%, with only about 2% of the sample being misclassified. <b>Conclusions</b>: Waist circumference could be used in health promotion programmes to identify individuals who should seek and be offered weight management. Men with waist circumference &gt;/=94 cm and women with waist circumference &gt;/=80 cm should gain no further weight; men with waist circumference &gt;/=102 cm and women with waist circumference &gt;/=88 cm should reduce their weight.