Question:

The waist to hip ratio or WHI doesn’t seem to be any better of a predictor than the BMI because neither one takes into lean body mass.  How good of a predictor can this measurement actually be when it only takes into account fat in one area of the body, not the overall body fat percentage?

Answer:

The WHR ratio was designed in or around 1993 as a replacement for an indication of health for the BMI.  Many health professionals including myself don’t find the BMI or the WHR to be useful as a sole indicator of health.

While it can be useful in some aspects, body composition is much more accurate and a better determination of overall health as you have pointed out.

In more recent years, the WHR has taken fire for being not such a good indicator of overall health either!

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