Measuring a person's waist may help calculate their risk of death from obesity, study says

BOSTON -  A new study finds there may be a more accurate way to calculate a patient's risk of death from obesity, and it involves measuring a person's waist.

Obesity, especially visceral or belly fat, is a known risk factor for premature death. A common measure of obesity, the Body Mass Index or BMI, does not indicate specifically where fat is distributed in the body. 

Researchers in China are now looking at the Body Roundness Index or BRI, which takes into consideration a person's waist circumference as well as their height and weight. 

The study examined data on nearly 33,000 U.S. adults and found that those with the lowest and highest Body Roundness Indices experienced a significantly higher risk of death from all causes. 

Experts say say calculating a patient's BRI could be used as a non-invasive screening tool to assess mortality risk.

In:
• Health
• Boston
• China
• Obesity
• Health Care

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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