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Excess belly fat could reveal more about the lifespan of older adults than BMI
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Young woman measuring her weight at home
By:Kelly Broderick
Posted
A new study is suggesting that BMI may not be the correct measure of health for some seniors
The study, which was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, found that a larger waist circumference correlates with a higher risk of an early death, but those being overweight based on BMI have a lower risk
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Additional studies found that central adiposity or the excessive accumulation of fat around the abdomen and lower torso is associated with increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality across BMI categories. Experts said that BMI alone, without weight circumference may be inadequate to characterize mortality risk
The study also found that being classified as underweight was associated with higher mortality risk in both sexes
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They added that while BMI is widely applied throughout medical settings, it doesn’t distinguish between fat mass and lean mass
Overall, the study finds that while it can be useful, experts support the use of waist circumference alongside BMI when conducting risk assessment among older adults
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