For kids and teens aged 8 to 17, measuring body mass index, waist size, or waist-to-height ratio all show similar ability to spot those at risk for heart and metabolic problems, with accuracy scores between 0.70 and 0.74.

In kids 8-17, these body measurements are much better at predicting heart/metabolic risks in overweight or obese children than in those with normal weight, with stronger links in the higher weight groups.

For kids 8-17, these body measurements are better at correctly identifying those who don't have heart/metabolic risks (high specificity) than those who do (low sensitivity), leading to many missed cases.

Using all three body measurements together doesn't help spot kids at risk better than using just one of them alone.

Overweight kids 8-17 are 2.6-3.5 times more likely to have heart/metabolic risks, and obese kids are about 14 times more likely, compared to normal-weight peers.

Measuring your waist compared to your height, your weight relative to your height, or just your waist size can all tell you something about your risk for heart problems—even if you don’t have diabetes or high blood pressure.