Measuring belly fat with an ultrasound shows a stronger link to bad blood sugar, cholesterol, and fat levels than just measuring waist size, even when you account for a person’s age, sex, and overall...

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Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

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Ultrasound measurements of intraabdominal fat estimate the metabolic syndrome better than do measurements of waist circumference

Cross-Sectional Study

Human

2003 Apr

Contradicting (0)

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No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Ultrasound measurements of intraabdominal fat estimate the metabolic syndrome better than do measurements of waist circumference

Score: 42

DOI: 10.1093/AJCN/77.4.857

Similar Assertions

Just measuring your waist size doesn’t tell you as much about your blood sugar and cholesterol levels as an ultrasound scan of your belly fat does — even when you already know someone’s weight and age.

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As people get older, their belly fat tends to increase — and this increase is a bit more clearly linked to age when measured with ultrasound than when just measuring the waist.

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As people get older, they tend to have more fat around their organs and less under the skin, making weight and waist measurements less reliable for detecting health risks in seniors.

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