[Waist circumference as a health index and its related factors]

There are many health indexes such as Body Mass Index (BMI), however, very few studies have reported about waist circumference. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between waist circumference and BMI, and relationships with diet and daily life. The subjects were 213 males aged over 35 yr. A self-report questionnaire was used to survey subjects, and waist circumference was measured and a blood sample taken. The subjects with abnormal BMI and blood tests, blood pressure, TG, GPT and gamma-GTP, had waist circumferences were larger than the normal blood test group. Groups of subjects who ate fried-food, were eating out 4 or 5 times per week (p = 0.004), or exercising 2 to 3 times per week had waist circumferences which were larger than the other groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the subjects who had a disease (OR: 2.10, p = 0.046), or an abnormal blood test (OR: 3.54, p = 0.009) had a significantly larger waist circumference. According to these results, waist circumference could be a health index. The people who ate less fried-food or exercised kept normal waist circumferences which protected them from internal obesity.