Why India is planning to ditch BMI
What's the story
In a major shift in its public health strategy, India will replace Body Mass Index (BMI) with Waist-to-Hip Ratio (WHR) in its fight against obesity, as per Mint. The initiative will be spearheaded by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and is aimed at measuring abdominal fat, which is a better predictor of metabolic diseases than overall body weight. The program is expected to begin in government hospitals, with pilots underway in selected states.
Obesity crisis
Lancet research highlights BMI's limitations for South Asians
The decision comes in light of research from the Lancet Commission on Obesity, which found that BMI often misclassifies health risks for South Asians.
This population is genetically prone to storing dangerous visceral fat even if they have a normal body weight.
By using WHR, the government hopes to catch people at risk of diabetes and heart disease much earlier than with BMI alone.
Nationwide rollout
One million ASHA workers to be deployed for community education
To ensure the program's success, nearly one million Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers will be deployed across the country.
These workers will not only measure WHR but also educate communities about healthy lifestyle choices.
The initiative aims to make obesity screening a routine part of local health records for both adults and children.
Expert opinion
Experts weigh in on shift from BMI to WHR
Public health experts have mixed opinions about the shift from BMI to WHR.
Dr Aashish Chaudhry, managing director of Aakash Healthcare, said while BMI is a tool for assessing obesity, WHR identifies visceral fat linked to various diseases.
He added that if followed by public health interventions, it could reduce obesity-related diseases and improve long-term health.
Measurement challenges
Practical challenges and international precedents
However, there are practical challenges in measuring WHR on a large scale.
Former PHFI president Professor Dr K Srinath Reddy pointed out that while WHR is a good measure of abdominal obesity, measuring hip circumference can be difficult, especially for women in rural areas.
Despite these challenges, international agencies like the UK's National Institute for Clinical Excellence have adopted WHR over BMI due to its better correlation with cardio-metabolic diseases.