Abstract

Body mass index (BMI) is a screening tool for the population to classify them into different categories such as overweight or obese. It is an estimate based on a person’s weight and height and assesses their risk for chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and many more. Researchers have been looking into a link between BMI and chronic diseases as well as its association with waist circumference and waist-hip ratio. Childhood BMI is a potential predictor of health later in life. There is increasing evidence of research on BMI of youth and adult to predict the risk of early death. This review has elaborated an association of BMI with waist circumference, waisthip ratio, and chronic diseases related to obesity such as diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia. All the above-mentioned variables related to BMI are discussed in this brief review.

Keywords: Body mass index; Weight loss; obesity; Waist circumference; Waist-hip ratio