Researchers found an inverse correlation between waist circumference and
fitness, regardless of BMI

Date:

January 17, 2018

Source:

PLOS

Summary:

Low
fitness is associated with a larger waist size and a higher degree of
inflammation, according to a new study.

Low fitness is associated
with a larger waist size and a higher degree of inflammation, according to a
study published January 17, 2018 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by
Anne-Sophie Wedell-Neergaard from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and
colleagues.

Waist circumference can
indicate the amount of excess fat found around the abdomen and previous studies
have shown excess abdominal fat may increase the risk of chronic system
inflammation and metabolic diseases. The authors of the present study sought to
investigate the association between fitness and waist circumference as well as
the association between fitness and low-grade inflammation, and whether there
was a correlation with Body Mass Index (BMI).

The researchers analyzed
the previously collected data of 10,976 individuals from The Danish National
Health Examination Survey 2007-2008. These individuals took a maximal oxygen
uptake (VO2max) test to assess their physical fitness. Their waist
circumference, weight and height were measured, and blood samples were taken to
measure their level of C-reactive protein, a nonspecific biomarker of low-grade
inflammation.

The researchers found
that higher levels of fitness were associated with a smaller waist
circumference and a lower degree of inflammation independently of BMI. The
researchers acknowledge that there are possible limitations that may affect the
findings of the study, but overall the results suggest that increased fitness
has the potential to reduce abdominal fat mass and inflammation which may
improve metabolic health irrespective of BMI.

“We found that
fitness is inversely associated with both abdominal adiposity and low-grade
inflammation independent of BMI,” says Wedell-Neergaard. “These
results suggest that, regardless of BMI, high fitness levels lead to a reduction
in abdominal fat mass and low-grade inflammation.”

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Journal Reference:

1.    Anne-Sophie
Wedell-Neergaard, Louise Eriksen, Morten Grønbæk, Bente Klarlund Pedersen,
Rikke Krogh-Madsen, Janne Tolstrup. Low fitness is associated with abdominal
adiposity and low-grade inflammation independent of BMI. PLOS ONE,
2018; 13 (1): e0190645 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190645