The body mass index, or BMI, is a tool that uses a patient's height and weight to determine the likelihood of that patient developing obesity-related diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease. The BMI, however, isn't suitable for everyone. Some people, such as the elderly and athletes, may need to use alternate methods to determine if they are at risk of these conditions.
Waist Circumference Measurement
Measuring the natural waist can give an indication of the amount of abdominal fat a person has. The waist circumference can help determine a person's risk of getting heart disease and other medical conditions, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Women with a waist circumference of 35 inches or more and men with a waist circumference of 40 inches are more are more are considered at risk.
Waist-to-Hip Ratio
High blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes are examples of medical conditions associated with a high waist-to-hip ratio. To determine the waist-to-hip ratio, the natural waist line and the widest part of the hips must both be measured. Once these measurements are taken, the waist measurement must be divided by the hip measurement. A ratio of .95 or less for men or .80 or less for women is considered the low-risk category. The moderate-risk group includes men with a .96 to a 1.0 ratio and women with a .81 to a .85 ratio. Anything above those ratios is considered the high-risk category, according to BMI Calculator.
Hydrostatic Weighing
Hydrostatic weighing is underwater weighing. A chair is placed on a scale underwater while the scale is zeroed out. Once the scale is at zero, the patient sits on the chair. The patient must then exhale fully and bend down until his head is underwater. The weight reading is taken once the scale stabilizes. This reading is used to determine the body-fat percentage of the person through a series of formulas.
Body Fat Measuring
Special calipers are used to measure the amount of skin and fat at four locations: waist, shoulder blade, biceps and triceps. After all of the readings are taken, the measurements, in millimeters, are added up to one total. A chart that takes the patient's gender, age and measurement total is used to determine the body-fat percentage of the person. The higher the body fat, the more likely the patient will develop obesity-related conditions.
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