Letter to the Editor
Waist Circumference is a Better Predictor of Obesity-related Health Risk than Body Mass Index in the Chinese Including Children
Abstract
Among the five anthropometric indices for diagnosing obesity—body mass index (BMI), percent body fat, waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio and waist-to-stature ratio—the most commonly used index around the world is BMI.1 Recently, Ng and Lai2 introduced another index, weight-length index, to be used together with BMI to define childhood obesity in Chinese in Taiwan. However, measurement of WC as a preferable determinant of cardiovascular and metabolic risks is increasingly gaining popularity in recent years. That WC is indeed a better index than BMI as a measure of obesity among the Chinese has been recently reported in both Chinese men,3 women3,4 and children.5This content is limited to qualifying members.
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