After the BMI, the IMA: a new index to calculate excess weight
March 18, 2011 – Researchers1 Americans have developed a new measure that they believe is more accurate than the traditional body mass index (BMI) to assess excess weight. This is the fat mass index2 (IMA), which is based on the measurement of hip circumference and height.
This index was developed in an attempt to correct the lack of precision in BMI which has been the subject of debate in the medical world for several years because it is not suitable for all patients.
Indeed, the BMI does not make it possible to distinguish the adipose mass from that non-adipose which can result from the muscular mass. This is especially the case with athletes and bodybuilders. BMI also fails to take into account bones and fat distribution, which vary by age and ethnicity, among others.
To see if they could come up with a better index, the researchers used data from an ongoing research project involving 1 people of Mexican descent whose mothers had suffered from gestational diabetes.
After analyzing a series of variables, they found that hip circumference and height are the best variables for estimating a person’s actual body fat, for both men and women.
This new index has been validated using data from another ongoing research project in which all 223 participants are subjects of African American descent. For researchers, this means that the IMA appears to resist, at first glance at least, variations related to ethnicity as seen with BMI. However, further studies are needed to confirm this, especially in people of Asian and Caucasian origin.
Little evidence yet
If this new clue is simple and interesting, its proof remains to be done, according to Dr Paul Poirier from the Institut de cardiologie et de pneumologie at Hôpital Laval in Quebec City.
“The body mass index is not perfect, but it is useful for predicting the risk of cardiovascular events,” he recalls. For now, it is still unclear whether this is also the case for the IMA, because no study has yet been done. “
Certainly, BMI has limitations that have led many scientists to seek a new measure of adiposity capable of assessing the risks of suffering from diabetes, hypertension and other heart diseases in adults and children.
“However, it can be used in conjunction with other measures, such as waist circumference, to refine the assessment. It remains simple and convenient, ”says Dr.r Pear tree.
More information See our new Always Useful: Waist Size as an Index of Cardiovascular Disease Risk ?. |
Louis M. Gagné – PasseportSanté.net
1 Bergman RN, Stefanovski D, Buchanan TA, et al. A better index of body adiposity. Obesity 2011; DOI: 10.1038 / May 2011.38.
2. IMA = (hip circumference in cm / waist in cm1,5) – 18.