Individuals with a BMI greater than what value may find waist circumference measurement less applicable?

In terms of understanding how Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference relate to assessing health risk, a BMI greater than 35 often indicates that individuals may have higher levels of body fat that can render waist circumference measurement less effective or applicable. Waist circumference is a useful measurement for assessing abdominal fat and predicting the risk of obesity-related health issues, such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

However, at higher BMI levels, particularly above 35, there tends to be an increased proportion of body fat that is not just central but distributed more broadly. This means that waist circumference may not adequately capture the health risks associated with obesity for these individuals, as the predictive power of waist circumference diminishes. Therefore, BMI greater than 35 suggests that relying solely on waist circumference could give a misleading representation of one’s health status and risk, highlighting the need for more comprehensive assessment methods for people with higher levels of body fat.

Other values on the scale could potentially relate to severe obesity or other classifications, but the critical threshold for this specific measurement concern is commonly recognized at the BMI of 35.