Knowing your Hit to Waist ratio is important tool that helps you determine your overall health risk. People with more weight around their waist are at greater risk of lifestyle related diseases such as heart disease and diabetes than those with weight around their hips. It is a simple and useful measure of fat distribution.

If your body fat percentage is too low, your resistance to diseases and energy levels are lower, and you are at risk of health issues. If your body fat percentage is too high, you have a higher risk of diabetes and other health problems. It is therefore important to measure your body fat percentage, and stay in the healthy range.

Some might like to see results in context, the following tables are adapted from the ACSM and NIH/WHO classification of body fat percentage results. Remember, there is an ‘essential fat’ level required in the body:

Women 10% – 13%

Men 2% – 5%

It is important to know that BMI does not measure body fat directly. However, research indicates that BMI correlates to direct measures of body fat. BMI takes into account natural variations in body shape, giving a healthy weight range for a particular height. Many athletes, body builders and other very muscular people will find themselves in overweight or obese categories due to the fact that muscle is much denser than fat. In addition, you should not use BMI as a measure if you’re pregnant. Get advice from your midwife or GP if you’re concerned about your weight.

• The Quetelet Index was devised by Adolphe Quetelet, a Belgian mathematician, astronomer and statistician, in 1832. It was later termed “body mass index” in 1972 by Ancel Keys.
• BMI is a simple, inexpensive and noninvasive surrogate measure of body fat.
• Factors such as age, sex, ethnicity and muscle mass are not accounted for in BMI.
• For adults 20 years and older, BMI is interpreted by using standard weight status categories that are the same for all ages, and for both men and women.
• BMI is a reasonable indicator of body fat for both adults and children.
• Because BMI does not measure body fat directly, it should not be used as a diagnostic tool.

BMI should be used as a measure to track weight status in populations and as a screening tool to identify potential weight problems in individuals.

It is important to know that BMIdoes not measure body fat directly. However, research indicates that BMI correlates to direct measures of bodyfat. BMI takes into account natural variations in body shape, giving a healthy weight range for a particular height. Many athletes, body builders and other very muscular people will find themselves in overweight or obese categories due to the fact that muscle is much denser than fat. In addition, you should not use BMI as a measure if you’re pregnant. Get advice from your midwife or GP if you’re concerned about your weight.

• The Quetelet Index was devised by Adolphe Quetelet, a Belgian mathematician, astronomer and statistician, in 1832. It was later termed “body mass index” in 1972 by Ancel Keys.
• BMI is a simple, inexpensive and noninvasive surrogate measure of body fat.
• Factors such as age, sex, ethnicity and muscle mass are not accounted for in BMI.
• For adults 20 years and older, BMI is interpreted by using standard weight status categories that are the same for all ages, and for both men and women.
• BMI is a reasonable indicator of body fat for both adults and children.
• Because BMI does not measure body fat directly, it should not be used as a diagnostic tool.
• BMI should be used as a measure to track weight status in populations and as a screening tool to identify potential weight problems in individuals.