BMJ  2006;333:695-698 (30 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.333.7570.695

Practice

ABC of obesity

Assessment of obesity and its clinical implications

department of diabetes and endocrinology, University College London Hospitals.

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Obesity can be assessed in several ways. Each method has advantages and disadvantages, and the appropriateness and scientific acceptability of each method will depend on the situation.

For weight measurement subjects should ideally be in light clothing and bare feet, fasting, and with empty bladder; repeat measures are best made at same time of day

 

View this table:   Levels of health risks associated with waist circumference (cm), defined by waist circumference action levels in white men and women

 

The assessment methods often measure different aspects of obesity—for example, total or regional adiposity. They also produce different results when they are used to estimate morbidity and mortality. When there is increased body fat, there will also be necessary increases in some lean tissue, including the fibrous and vascular tissues in adipose tissue, heart muscle, bone mass, and truncal or postural musculature. All these non-fat tissues have a higher density (1.0 g/ml) than fat (0.7 . . . [Full text of this article]

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    StumbleUpon    Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Articles

False positive findings of mammography will have psychological consequences

I S Tobias and Michael Baum
BMJ 1996 312: 1227. [Extract] [Full Text]

Waist circumference as a measure for indicating need for weight management

M E J Lean, T S Han, and C E Morrison
BMJ 1995 311: 158-161. [Abstract] [Full Text]

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Yar, T. (2008). Using "spinal shrinkage" as a trigger for motivating students to learn about obesity and adopt a healthy lifestyle. Adv. Physiol. Educ. 32: 237-241 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Chiolero, A., Faeh, D., Paccaud, F., Cornuz, J. (2008). Consequences of smoking for body weight, body fat distribution, and insulin resistance. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 87: 801-809 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Cameron, A. J., Zimmet, P. Z. (2008). Expanding Evidence for the Multiple Dangers of Epidemic Abdominal Obesity. Circulation 117: 1624-1626 [Full text]  

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

BM"I" may be a risk factor in obesity but cannot be a measure of obesity in itself.

C Kevin Connolly
bmj.com, 1 Oct 2006 [Full text]

Body Mass Index, Waist Circumference, or Pulse by Mass Index as Risk Factor ?

Enrique J. Sánchez-Delgado, MD, Professor
bmj.com, 2 Oct 2006 [Full text]

MRI not CT

Philip Smart
bmj.com, 10 Oct 2006 [Full text]

Online poll

Find out more >>