JohnHelton wrote: ↑Fri Feb 04, 2022 2:33 pm
I'm going to agree with @Hardartery here. BMI is useful with the general population, as is WC. WC data from the general population will show increasing risk as the WC gets larger. That is just common sense and has been shown in the data. There will even be obvious points in that data where the risk increases (say >40"). All that being said, the risk for each individual will vary at any particular WC. Other factors have to be considered. It would be interesting to see the data analysed using both BMI and WC simultaneously. Or height, weight, and WC...same thing.
I think it's just a matter of looking at statistical risk. If having a 40" waist increases your risk of developing diabetes say 3x, that's a statistical risk. An invidual might be a statistic, or might be an outlier. Point is, the risk is there and applies to all, you just can't predict which side of the weighed coin a particular individual will land on.
So, if you are making bets with chronic disease coins, what makes the most sense if your goal is to win? Use coind that have a higher chance of success. Yeah, maybe you're one of the outliers and that large waist won't kill you prematurely, but why not lower it and weigh the coin in your favor? Arguing about the exactness of things like WC misses the point, and like I said, it's a spectrum anyways, with certain broadly observed levels of risk around 37" for elevated risk, and 40" for highly elevated. Said differently, statistically speaking, the coin is weighed in your favor if your waist is less than 37". As you approach 37" and go to 40" and above, the coin becomes weighed more and more against you, and almost exponentially so the further you go.
I don't see a good reason for a non-pro lifter to bet against statistical risk, hoping they're an outlier. Doesn't make sense to me. You don't need abs but neither do you need to carry a 37"+ waist to participate in your lifting hobby.
