Comparison of the methods of body mass index, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio used in the determination of obesity

There are many methods which used to diagnose obesity.As these methods produce different results, it is discussed which method should be used in the diagnosis of obesity.The aim of this study is to compare body mass index, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio methods used in the diagnosis of obesity. After obtaining the necessary permissions from the Ethics Committee of Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, length, weight, waist circumference and hip circumference measurements were taken from 406 individuals, 201 females and 205 males who studied at Kırşehir Ahi evran University. The reference intervals recommended by the World Health Organization were used to evaluate these measures.Individuals with a body mass index greater than 30 were evaluated as obese.Individuals with a waist circumference greater than 88 cm in women and 102 cm in men, and individuals with a waisthip ratio of 0.85 in women and 0.90 in men were considered obese. According to the results of the research, obesity rate of female individuals is 4.5% and 6.4% of men is according to body mass index.According to the waist circumference, obesity rate is 3% for females and 2.4% for males. According to waist hip ratio, obesity rate is 1% for female and 4.4% for male.The findings were compared statistically and a significant difference was found between the genders in terms of obesity rates (p<0.00). A statistically significant difference was found between the three methods (p<0.00). As a result of the findings, it is recommended to evaluate at least two methods in the diagnosis of obesity. Data obtained with body mass index should be supported by waist circumference measurement. It is considered that diagnosing obesity to individuals based on a single method will not give correct results. Keywords: Body mass index, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, obesity, Overweight