Weight Not Always an Indicator of Heart Disease Risk

Obesity has long been associated with heart disease risk but did you know that some people who could be classified as overweight are actually quite physically fit and in no danger of the disease? For a number of years, doctors have used the standard body mass index (BMI) method to determine whether a person is underweight, normal, overweight, obese or morbidly obese. This figure is based on your height and weight. Here is a basic idea of the measurement range:

1. underweight-BMI under 20
2. normal-BMI between 20 to 24.9
3. overweight-BMI between 25 to 29.9
4. obese-BMI above 30
5. morbidly obese-BMI above 35

Your body mass index is often used to assess your heart disease risk because of several correlations. First, people who are extremely overweight to morbidly obese have a far greater risk of heart disease. In addition, people who are severely underweight also are at risk. Of course, when you are underweight, there are usually underlying factors from anorexia to cancer or some other disease that places you at higher risk.

People who fall in the overweight category of the BMI are often a bit harder to assess as sometimes the rules don’t apply to them. The reason is that some people have different body builds such as a lot of muscles or denser bone structure. These can contribute to your weight. If you fall within this type of overweight category you may or may not be at risk for heart disease. So which is it you might ask?

When you are labeled “overweight” due to your body mass index but are seemingly healthy and physically fit in other ways, doctors have to resort to the waist-to-hip ratio of weight on your body. This is the area that carries the most fat when you are overweight. This figure along with your overall physical fitness would be the new parameters to judge you for disease risk.

When your BMI value is firmly in the category of overweight and you believe you are fairly physically fit, ask your doctor to do a waist to hip ratio. Those who lead a sedentary lifestyle and don’t get exercise are likely to have a much higher value than you, someone who maintains an active lifestyle.

As mentioned previously, your body build plays a big part in your BMI figures. A solid bone structure or large muscle mass can give you the appearance of being overweight and even adds pounds to your body. However, you can be physically fit at the same time, thus the reason for measuring the waist to hip ratio. If you are labeled overweight and do not exercise, the proof is around that mid-section just as if you were physically fit.

Basically, the bottom line is that it is better to be healthy and fit while being labeled overweight than it is just being fat. Many people with the overweight label who are active have been labeled at risk for heart disease. The bottom line is that unless that hip to waist ration measurement is out of whack and shows plenty of abdominal fat, you should have little to worry about.