Clinical measures of obesity and weight loss in men

(1) To determine the relationship between waist circumference and body weight in overweight men both before and after participation in a weight loss program; and (2) to make recommendations for the appropriate use of these measures at various stages of weight loss.

Weight and waist circumference measures were taken in two diverse groups of men both before and 1-2 y after commencing a men's 'waist loss' program. Regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between weight and waist measures.

One group of 42 retired Caucasian men from New South Wales, and one group of 45 indigenous men from the Torres Strait region of Northern Australia.

There were differences in the relationships of weight and waist circumference before the program and change in weight and change in waist circumference after weight loss. These differences were similar in both groups of men (indigenous men and retired Caucasian men), with a 1 cm waist loss being on average equivalent to about 3/4 kg, but with wide variability, suggesting inter-individual variation in fat losses from different depots. This variation suggests that neither weight nor waist alone is a sufficient measure of fat loss for men.

Weight and waist circumference should both be used at various stages in the clinical situation to assess change in body fat in men involved in obesity reduction.