How to check for clinical obesity

Medical experts are shifting away from screening for obesity through body mass index (BMI) and instead measuring for clinical obesity — excess fat around the abdomen along with evidence of weight-related health problems.

Here are three at-home measurements you can take that may help determine clinical obesity, along with input from your physician, according to Brian P. Lee, MD, MAS, a hepatologist and liver transplant specialist with Keck Medicine of USC.

• Waist circumference. Measure your waist by placing a tape measure around your waist at the halfway point between the bottom of your lowest rib and top of your hip bone. The fit should be snug, but not digging into your skin. Breathe normally, then measure after you have breathed out. A measurement of under 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men is considered normal.
• Waist to hip ratio. Measure the distance around the largest part of your hips — the widest part of your buttocks. This is your hip circumference. Divide your waist size by your hips size. A normal ratio is 0.85 for females and 0.9 for males.
• Waist to height ratio. Measure your waist to height ratio by dividing your waist measurement in inches by your height measurement in inches. For example, if you are 5’5” and have a waist circumference of 30, your height in feet translates into 65 inches. A normal ratio is if your waist size is less than half of your height.

If two or more of these measurements are out of the normal range, and you have symptoms linked with excess weight, for example high blood pressure, heart disease or chronic knee or hip problems, talk to your doctor, advises Lee. “Together you can discuss the results and possible lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise, that may improve your health.”