Fast Five Quiz: Weight Loss

In addition to BMI, waist circumference may be used as a screening tool to estimate weight status in relation to disease risk. According to guidelines released by the American College of Cardiology (ACC), the American Heart Association (AHA), and The Obesity Society (TOS) in 2013, weight loss should be encouraged at a BMI of 25 with just one comorbidity (instead of two, as was the case in previous guidelines), and elevated waist circumference can be one of those comorbidities. A 2020 consensus statement from the International Atherosclerosis Society (IAS) and International Chair on Cardiometabolic Risk (ICCR) Working Group on Visceral Obesity also stresses the importance of waist circumference as an independent predictor of morbidity and mortality, with the full strength of waist circumference being realized after controlling for BMI.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that men with waist circumference more than 40 in (> 102 cm) and nonpregnant women with waist circumference more than 35 in (> 89 cm) are at greater risk for obesity-related complications such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and coronary artery disease. The US CDC also states that while waist circumference can be used as a screening tool, it is not diagnostic of the body fatness or health of an individual. To determine individual health status and risks, a trained healthcare provider should perform appropriate assessments.

Learn more about indications for weight loss.

Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape.

Cite this: Romesh Khardori, Evelyn S. Marienberg. Fast Five Quiz: Weight Loss - Medscape - Nov 08, 2022.

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