How Can You Tell if You Are Fit or Fat? Recent Studies Weigh In On Obesity Assessment

If you?re among the growing population of people who doctors classify as clinically obese, you probably already recognize that you could drastically improve your health, well-being, and lifestyle by shedding a few excess pounds. When you?re carrying a significant amount of extra weight around, it?s not difficult to determine that a lifestyle change is in order.

But for people who are closer to the weight range typically defined as ?normal? for their age, gender, and body type, determining whether a lifestyle change is necessary can be much more challenging. Doctors, health advocacy organizations, and medical researchers often have starkly different points of view on this issue, as evidenced by the vast array of assessment tools that are currently being used to set the ranges that constitute healthy and unhealthy weights for each person.

The challenge of identifying the best tool for assessing weight is one of the most significant -- and controversial -- issues facing medical researchers today. This week, we?ll take a look at a few recent studies that have sought to shed some light on this subject.

Recent Study Questions Validity of BMI Scale

The Body-Mass Index has long been regarded as one of the most reliable techniques for assessing the healthiness of an individual?s weight. It uses weight, height, and, in some cases, frame size to calculate a number that indicates whether an individual is a healthy weight, overweight, or obese.

Although the BMI scale has a number of inherent limitations, it has long been regarded as the default method of obesity assessment. In particular, scientists conducting large-scale research projects have come to rely upon the BMI scale as a method of classifying study participants as normal, overweight, or obese based on a few key pieces of height and weight data.

However, over the last several years, concerns about the efficacy of the BMI scale have begun to accumulate rapidly. A growing number of critics have questioned whether researchers, doctors, and public health advocacy groups alike have become overly reliant on BMI assessment.

These criticisms seem to have been validated, at least in part, by the results of a recent study conducted by a research team at the Harvard Medical School. According to the findings, the BMI scale has several significant shortcomings. Most notably, the BMI scale tends to over-identify athletes as overweight or obese, while giving a free pass to skinny but out-of-shape individuals. The obesity levels of the elderly are also often underestimated on the BMI scale, because they tend to have less muscle mass than their younger counterparts.

The researchers suggested that the ratio of the measurement of the waist to the measurement of the hips may represent a much more accurate method for obesity assessment. This method more accurately reflects the negative health impact of excessive fat around the midsection, which is widely agreed to be a sign that weight loss efforts are necessary. Although the BMI will likely continue to be used in some situations, researchers caution that it should not be regarded as an infallible measure of obesity.

Study Sheds Light on the Role of the Scale in Weight Loss

For dieters, the scale can be both your best friend and your worst enemy. On the positive side, frequent weighing can help us keep close tabs on our progress and make adjustments according to even small fluctuations in weight. On the other hand, excessive reliance on the scale can lead to frustration and disappointment -- and, some researchers fear, the abandonment of weight loss efforts altogether. As a result, some diet gurus have begun to advise those seeking to shed excess pounds to look to other methods of keeping track of their progress, such as paying attention to the way clothes fit and taking body measurements.

However, a recent study conducted by scientists at the University of Minnesota indicates that the scale may be a useful tool in weight loss efforts, after all. Over the course of two years, individuals who weighed themselves more frequently were shown to have lost more weight and gained less weight back than their counterparts who rarely or never weighed themselves. However, the researchers caution that dieters should avoid becoming excessively reliant on the scale, and to measure their weight loss progress in other ways, as well.

Research Indicates 'Skinny' Does Not Always Mean 'Healthy'

We tend to make a lot of snap judgments about people's weight and health based on their outward appearance. Often, it?s assumed that men and women who appear to be thin are fit and healthy, while more rotund individuals are automatically believed to be at greater health risk.

However, according to the results of a recent study funded by Britain's Medical Research Council, these assumptions may not always accurate. Apparently, not all fat is created equally. Studies show that fat that is gathered around the midsection or collected around the internal organs may be disproportionately harmful.

Interestingly, people who appear thin can be at high risk for these kinds of fatty deposits. According to the researchers, everyone should be vigilant for signs of internal or external fat accumulation, regardless of their body size.

No matter which method of measurement you prefer, it's important to keep tabs on your weight so you will be better equipped to stay within an optimal range. And don't forget to check back each week for the breaking research news that will help you create and maintain a healthy lifestyle!