While obesity is clinically determined by Body Mass Index (BMI), this test has plenty of faults.

That’s because BMI doesn’t take into account the quality of mass (is it fat or muscle?). This will put some muscular athletes in the “obese” category and some elderly (who lack muscle mass) in a “healthy range”.

BMI also fails to look at distribution of fat.

But there is a more accurate predictor of risk. It’s your waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). And remember—you can be thin and still have too much fat.

To determine your WHR, simply divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. For example, a 22 inch waist and a 32 inch hip measurement gives a WHR of 0.69. Here is a general guide of WHR and disease risk.

References