Identification of Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk in Ethnically and Racially Diverse Populations .
A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.
AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION -JULY 2015.

Conclusions and Recommendations
1. BMI alone, even with lower thresholds, is a useful but not an ideal tool for identification of obesity or assessment of cardiovascular risk in Asian populations because of its lack of sensitivity. The value of BMI is also questionable in other populations, including blacks, Hispanics, and Pacific Islanders.

2. In combination with BMI, we recommend that WC ( Waist Circumference) be measured annually in all people by use of a standardized technique, such as that recommended by the NHLBI,48 to better gauge cardiovascular risk in diverse populations.

3. WHO recommended thresholds for WC should be used to gauge cardiovascular risk in diverse populations.

4. Imaging and other noninvasive methods cannot be recommended at this time for the routine assessment of obesity or cardiovascular risk.

5. The FRS ( Framingham risk score) has been shown to provide a reasonably accurate estimate of cardiovascular risk in a number of different ethnic and racial minority groups.

G Mohan.