Measuring for a healthy weight—and a longer life
Regularly weighing yourself can motivate you to shed excess pounds. Dieters who took action when the scale climbed more than 3 pounds were 82 percent more likely to keep weight off than those who were less vigilant, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2006.
But the scale won't tell you much about your health. For that, the best indicator is turning out to be your waist circumference, which indicates abdominal obesity. That's important, since belly fat is more metabolically active than fat stored in the hips and thighs and is a strong signal of increased risk of disease.
In April, the two largest studies of abdominal obesity—one a nine-year follow-up of about 250,000 middle-aged men and women surveyed by AARP, and the other an analysis of 16 years of data from more than 44,000 women in the ongoing Nurses' Health Study—published remarkably similar findings. Both found that people with a larger waist circumference were more likely to die prematurely than those with smaller waists, regardless of their body mass index, or BMI.
The study also found a strong association between early death and a large waist-to-hip ratio—a measurement of the narrowest part of the waist compared with the circumference at the broadest part of the hip. Although the waist-to-hip ratio can more precisely differentiate belly fat from hip and bottom fat, it requires two measurements and so is more prone to error and less convenient to calculate.
Measuring up
To measure your waist circumference, wrap a tape around your bare abdomen about an inch below your lowest rib. Stand up straight, but don’t suck in your stomach. Relax, exhale, and take the measurement at the end of the exhalation. In women, a waist of 35 inches or greater is cause for concern; in men, it’s 40 inches.
To measure your hips, pull the tape snugly around the widest point (but not so much that it compresses your skin). For the waist-to-hip ratio, divide the waist measurement by the hip measurement. A healthy waist-to-hip ratio is 0.8 or less for women; 0.9 or less for men.
Exceeding any of the recommended measurements is a sign that you need to step up your efforts to emphasize healthy dietary choices and add more physical activity to your day.
This article first appeared in the July 2008 issue of Consumer Reports on Health.
Read more on the secrets of successful dieters (free) and find out why some people gain weight more easily than others (subscribers only).
Posted by: K B | Aug 14, 2009 5:40:47 AM
So far I have not been able to find a consistent or accurate bathroom scale. I have decided to buy a 330lb postal weight scale. I would be interested in knowing if Consumer Reports will be looking at postal scales as accurate alternatives to bathroom scales.
Posted by: sherrie root | Aug 4, 2009 9:01:12 PM
I just signed up for a 1 year subscripition only to get reccomendations on bathroom scales but apparently it has not been of much importance to CR in this world of obesitiy
Posted by: PETER J CARROLL | Aug 3, 2009 10:01:13 PM
I just checked the beginning of this thread, first post requesting CR to rate bathroom scales was Nov 22, 2008 last was July 25, 2009 with about 50+ posts pleading for you to do this rating. I've been checking back every couple of months since January waiting to see a reponse from CR. Maybe you did respond and its buried in all the complaints so if you have a time frame please post it at the top of the thread so everyone can see it without searching thru all these posts. I could use the time I save to do a little more exercise so I am pleasantly surprised when I finally get to buy a scale that CR recommends. btw - is there a rating mag that rates rating mags and, if so, where does CR rate?
Posted by: HP | Jul 25, 2009 12:18:03 PM
What does "late 2009" mean??? Which MONTH??? ie, I bought a scale at Walmart, and I can weigh myself 4 times in a row and get 4 different readings, so I want to get a new one and not waste ANOTHER hunk of change... I could CARE LESS about body fat measurements. (ie, your "article" on why CR hasn't tested BMI scales.) I would just like a basic scale that is ACCURATE and CONSISTENT and DURABLE with NO bells or whistles. This would be SO easy for CR to test!!!! Please tell us what month this report will come out so I know whether to cancel my subscription now to help pay for the multiple scales I'm gonna have to buy, or if you will actually LISTEN and publish this soon.
Posted by: Mary Snook | Jul 25, 2009 10:00:04 AM
Please, please, please review bathroom scales. Unless I lose 2 pounds after my shower I need a different one....only had this one 1 week. Was sure you would be able to give me some guidence but I was disappointed.
Posted by: Bonnie Towles | Jul 17, 2009 6:21:07 PM
I too would like to express my annoyance and dismay that the ratings for scales is scheduled for late 2009 and that there is no means of moving the ratings to an earlier date. Perhaps Consumers Reports needs to review it's policies and/or give members a chance to weigh in on what should be reviewed, and in what sequence.
Posted by: Joan Beinart | Jul 16, 2009 12:08:56 PM
Let me add to the chorus of complaints about CR not having reviewed bathroom scales. I've subscribed to CR for many years on and off -- mostly on -- and this is the first time I've tried to get information on a product I specifically need (my old bathroom scale just died). I am enormously disappointed....
Posted by: Cheri | Jul 13, 2009 1:42:16 PM
With such a focus on health care and the staggering statistics on obesity in the US, why hasn't Consumer Reports done its homework on bathroom scales? Shame on you for sitting on your fat . . . . . !!!
Posted by: Dorothy, PA-C | Jul 11, 2009 3:31:14 PM
I need a bathroom scale - please advise. I know you guys have a lot to do, but the obesity problem in this country is terrible and getting worse. It might not seem like bathroom scales are that important, but like that 2006 study shows, people that weigh themselves daily are more likely to keep their weight in check. Consumer Reports really could do the whole country a huge service by looking into this subject. Save lives, prevent diabetes, prevent heart attacks, prevent strokes, alleviate human suffering, save the economy (d/t the $ it costs to treat all those complications once folks qualify for Medicare). There is a link mentioned among the comments about a Good Housekeeping article. I guess I'll check that out.
Posted by: Glenn | Jul 1, 2009 7:27:45 PM
Amen, amen -- It's now July 2009 -- I'm another subscriber that wants to 'weigh in' on the topic of weight scales, and the lack of any test data on them. Hopefully you've got something in the works on this 'weighty' subject. ;-)
Posted by: Kathy | Jun 26, 2009 1:51:34 PM
2009 - also still looking for an evaluation of bathroom scales. My old digital one reads up to 10 lbs. below my actual weight as per the MD's scale! I guess I will go and buy one based on some other information...
Posted by: Lee | Jun 16, 2009 11:22:02 PM
I subscribed ONLY for the reason for researching bathroom scales. I FEEL RIPPED OFF!
Posted by: JamesN | Jun 12, 2009 1:09:28 AM
Man, what a monotone chorus - and amusing too - if there is an obesity problem, don't blame it on CR for not having bathroom scale ratings.
I came here looking for kitchen scales, as have a few others. No ratings - disappointing, but not worthy of a class-action hissy fit.
I hope CR does add them to the list - and I hope most of the respondents above realize this is the scale that will do them the most good - one that measures food portions before they start homesteading on bellies and behinds.
Posted by: Diana Laybold | Jun 11, 2009 9:25:00 AM
Recently I have seached the Consumer Report site for ratings on bicycles, carpet cleaners, and bathroom scales and have been surprised and disappointed to find no current information of these items. It makes me rethink the value of subscribing each year.
Posted by: Deborah | Jun 11, 2009 8:57:12 AM
Me too!!! This is the kind of thing CR is for-disappointed
Posted by: Cindy | Jun 9, 2009 12:51:38 PM
Bump this up.....
I came today just to find info on bathroom scales, there are so many out there and I am clueless.
Thank you for the Good Housekeeping link Kathleen.
Posted by: Les Scharf | Jun 7, 2009 9:02:00 PM
at the very least you could tell us when the body fat and/or scale report is coming out. how can you keep silent in the
face of all of these comments. what we have here is a failure of communication!!!
Posted by: Amy | Jun 6, 2009 12:03:10 AM
Wow, add my voice to the chorus. Really surprised by this. Dozens of complaints over the course of many months and still nothing. Kudos to the person who posted the Good Housekeeping link.
Posted by: Kelly | Jun 5, 2009 2:02:53 PM
One more request. Come on, CR!
Posted by: Tim | Jun 2, 2009 9:14:50 PM
Join my voice to the chorus...WHERE ARE THE BATHROOM SCALE REVIEWS???
Posted by: Nancy M. Tooney | Jun 1, 2009 12:31:53 PM
Thanks for the information about Good Housekeeping, but I'm VERY disappointed that I can't find information about bathroom scales on the CR website. C'mon guys (and I suppose it was "guy" decision) -- get with it!
Posted by: Kathleen | May 30, 2009 4:53:17 PM
Goodhousekeeping.com has a current review of bathroom scales. To read,go to:
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/product-testing/reviews-tests/appliances-electronics/best-bathroom-scales?src=edit&mag=ghk&chan=hp&link=best-bathroom-scales
Posted by: Kathleen | May 30, 2009 4:39:55 PM
I also subscribe to both the magazine and website and habitually review CR product reviews before making a major purchase. Like many other writers, my scales can vary by 1 or 2 pounds from second to second (ridiculous!), so I step on the scale until I get the same weight 3 times. Utter nonsense. I would have expected CR to have a fairly current evaluation of such a common household appliance.
Posted by: JEL | May 30, 2009 4:11:26 PM
Con Report Mag/online subscriber for years - Just logged on looking for a good bathroom scale, too. Have to say "ditto" to all of the above!
Posted by: Dave | May 29, 2009 1:05:15 AM
Another vote for bathroom scales. Should include ones with body fat calculators as well.
Posted by: pj | May 27, 2009 1:19:24 AM
I'm also looking for scale information.
Posted by: lisa | May 24, 2009 7:59:47 PM
I am also very surprised Consumer Reports has no information on scales. That is what I came in search of at this time! To Consumer Reports - please consider "weighing in" on this matter!!Thanks.
Posted by: Chloemann | May 24, 2009 11:14:50 AM
One more vote to review scales. I have what was supposed to be an "accurate" scale. The weight reading can vary as much as 4 pounds from moment to moment. I've taken to taking 3 measurements while moving the scale from place to place and trying to get an average, but sometimes the readings are so dissimilar that I give up. How can one know if progress is being made? It can be very discouraging in the process of healthy dieting.
Posted by: Dismayed | May 21, 2009 9:23:34 PM
Ditto
Posted by: Jerry Fant | May 20, 2009 8:50:33 PM
Why is there nothing on scales?
As weight conscious as everyone is these days doesn't it make sense to have something on the price, quality and accuracy of scales. There are a lot of comments on this oversight.
Posted by: Ray | May 20, 2009 12:36:36 PM
Sad. Again CR has chosen not to list a review on a product I was hoping to find here. I have not been able to find what I want here. Perhaps it is time to cancel my account.
Posted by: jack | May 19, 2009 12:34:26 PM
Does CR now do only big ticket items??? I did not renew my magazine subscription this year based upon not finding a review of this simple (given our obesity problem) but important item.
Posted by: neil | May 18, 2009 9:41:20 AM
CR probably gets income from the scale companies to not do a CR test or report. I'm sure politics take place with their reporting.
Posted by: John C. | May 17, 2009 9:24:42 AM
Hi
Like others I've been disappointed that Consumer Reports has no reviews on such a basic item.This is the second time I've had to go in blind buying a scale so you can see how well the first one went. I just want to find a basic scale that is accurate and doesn't give you a 2 pound variance weighing yourself five minutes apart.I want to weigh myself once, be assured it's accurate and consistent and be done with it.Come on CR if that other post about a hula hoop is true then I can't believe you haven't done scales.
Posted by: Jeanne | May 15, 2009 11:31:02 PM
I subscribe to Consumer Reports website everytime I make a major purchase. Currently I'm in the market for a bathroom scale (particularly a digital version) and I'm VERY disappointed that CR does not supply info. on these products. With all the fitness shows currently on and a push in our country to end obesity, CR needs to get on the stick and provide consumer data on bathroom scales!
Posted by: Martin S. Weinhous, Ph.D. | May 15, 2009 9:25:26 AM
A CR person, earlier in this thread, referred us to a February 2009 post by Mr. Ed Kippel at http://www.consumerreports.org/health/healthy-living/home-medical-supplies/why-cr-doesnt-test-body-fat-scales/overview/body-fat-scales.htm?resultPageIndex=1&resultIndex=1
I was disappointed that he cites DEXA (DXA) as a gold standard for body-fat measurements. Quoting Wikipedia :-) "DXA scans are primarily used to evaluate bone mineral density. DXA scans can also be used to measure total body composition and fat content. However, it has been suggested that, while being very accurate to measure minerals, it is very unreliable in measuring fat content - this was never its original purpose. It is suggested that for total body composition, DXA is used in conjunction with another method (Under Water Weighing etc.)"
Also, as another subscriber has mentioned, there seems to be some confusion at CR regarding person-to-person variation in scale's body-fat readings versus replicated readings for a particular person.
All that aside, IT IS NECESSARY AND IMPERATIVE that CR quickly publish evaluations and ratings of weight-only as well as feature-laden scales. They are widely and "heavily" used and we need the guidance we pay for.
Thanks!
Posted by: Janice | May 15, 2009 8:45:15 AM
Ok, I was not going to comment...I figured that you got the message...You need to take a look at scales. But then I saw that you have evaluated Hula Hoops...HULA HOOPS!?!?!? Come ON!
Posted by: Kathryn D. O'Keefe | May 14, 2009 1:02:46 PM
I just want to add my disappointment in the lack of ratings for scales. This is such an important issue (obesity) and to have overlooked this is amazing to me.
Keep up the good work and make this a priority for those of us that want to stay at a healthy weight and not waste our money!
PEACE
Posted by: Jon | May 13, 2009 8:11:10 PM
I just logged in to look for a scale after ours was damaged in a recent move, and I cannot believe there are no reviews on CR. What is this all about? So much for using this to prevent a bad purchase.
Posted by: Carol | May 13, 2009 8:09:42 AM
Me too. Need a quality bathroom scale, signed on looking for information, wishing it was here.
Posted by: Rich | May 12, 2009 1:59:50 PM
I too logged on today to check ratings of bathroom scales.....the first thing I found was this list of complaints. I'm joining the chorus in the hope that someone at CR views these pages.
Posted by: Anna Milburn | May 9, 2009 2:04:42 PM
Please, please, please CR do a bathroom scale review. There are too many promises, and not enough truth, in the data. I too expected to find something on the subject in CR.
Posted by: Anita | May 8, 2009 11:12:35 AM
CR please hear our request. Review bath scales. I also will probably not renew my subscription.
Posted by: Brenda | May 7, 2009 1:39:33 AM
Like everyone else, I'm astonished and truly disappointed that you have not done, or at least not published, a review of various bathroom-type scales. With obesity at epidemic levels in this country it's critical that people be aware of their weight and have a way to determine if their lifestyle - new or renewed -is of benefit to them. That Consumer Reports (on line or in print)has not addressed this is very disappointing, to say the least.The last 3 scales I have purchased (top of the lines)have each varied by as much as 3# when I or my husband weighed ourselves within minutes of the previous weigh-in. That's not acceptable but we now have nowhere to go find the definitive answer to which scale is most accurate.I expect more of CR.
Posted by: tonyrnyc | May 4, 2009 8:33:03 PM
The fact that CR hasn't evaluated bathroom scales is sort of suprising- let's get with it!
Posted by: Mary | May 4, 2009 12:50:53 AM
Our scale broke, after 10 yrs, it was a basic health o meter, worked very well. However, was looking for help, with all the new products out there, and am disappointed there is nothing here.
Posted by: Brent | May 3, 2009 4:34:47 PM
I really expected to find info on bathroom scales when I searched the site today. I would have thought this would be an appliance that would have several reviews from CR. Surprised no one from CR has thought to include it in their research.
Posted by: Nick | May 2, 2009 12:44:28 PM
Ditto when it comes to echoing the sentiments of everyone in this long list of complaints. I'm about to head out, blindly looking for a bathroom scale and, more than likely, I will waste my money on a scale because I cannot find a proper site that does enough research into the brands, body fat measurments, etc.
Don't get me wrong, I do my own research but CR in depth review of why and what to buy far exceed what is typically done....except for this time. I'm extremely disappointed to find out that CR does not offer any sort of recommendation when it comes to household bathroom scales.
Posted by: Kathryn | May 2, 2009 9:46:49 AM
Sorry the "article" I referred to above was in January 2004 not in 2008.
Kathryn
Posted by: Kathryn | May 2, 2009 9:43:55 AM
I am a subscriber of your magazine since so many years, also of your website. I am amazed to see no current rating of household bathroom scales. I am particularly interested in floor to waist high CONSISTANT scales. I would prefer a floor ( few inches high) model. Hope you can do this and/or send me to another scale rating very soon. Obesity is such a serious and growing problem in our country, why have you not focused on this. I saw your tiny article in 2008 that said almost nothing unless I missed something.No ratings, just a little paragraph.
Thanks for all of your work, I really appreciate it. Kathryn