Abdominal fat carried around the waist is a better predictor of lung function than body mass index (BMI). Researchers from the National Cancer Institute Regina Elena in Rome found that the prevalence of obesity is increasing and there is evidence that obesity, is inversely related with pulmonary function. The researchers examined the relationship between lung function and overall obesity as well as abdominal fat, in a general population of 2153 adults in New York. The five measures of fat they evaluated were weight, BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio and abdominal height - that is, the base-to-top belly measurement. A large waist circumference and abdominal height were associated with poor lung function in women. In men, all five measures were linked with decreased lung function. The findings confirm that abdominal fat is a better predictor of pulmonary function than weight or BMI and doctors should consider this while evaluating pulmonary function.
Chest,
April 2006
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