A pair of doctors have unveiled a remarkably simple health check that they claim provides a more accurate snapshot of your wellbeing than the commonly used Body Mass Index (BMI).
Dr Clare Bailey Mosley, the widow of the celebrated Dr Michael Mosley, collaborated with their son, Dr Jack Mosley, in an Instagram video to demonstrate this 'quick and easy' method for evaluating metabolic health.
What is Metabolic Health and Why Does It Matter?
Metabolic health refers to how efficiently your body processes essential elements like fats and sugar. Maintaining good metabolic function is crucial for overall wellness and plays a pivotal role in preventing chronic diseases.
Several key factors contribute to your metabolic health, including blood sugar levels, blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and waist circumference. Improving these markers at any age can significantly lower the risk of serious conditions and enhance your quality of life.
Poor metabolic health can lead to metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions such as high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, excess abdominal fat, and abnormal cholesterol. This syndrome dramatically increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, making it vital to address its root causes through lifestyle changes.
How to Perform the String Test at Home
The doctors demonstrated what they call the 'string test'. Here is how you can do it yourself:
- Take a piece of string and stand on one end.
- Pull the string upwards until it matches your full height.
- Fold the string exactly in half, so it now measures half your height.
- Wrap this halved-length string around your waist.
If the two ends of the string meet, this is a positive indicator of good metabolic health. However, if the ends do not meet, it suggests you may have a higher likelihood of metabolic issues.
"Did you know that the string test is a better measure of your metabolic health than BMI? That is surprising to a lot of people," Dr Bailey-Mosley remarked.
Why This Test Can Be More Revealing Than BMI
Dr Jack Mosley explained the limitations of the traditional BMI calculation. "The issues with BMI is it doesn't account for your muscle mass, but it also doesn't account for distribution of fat. One of the fats that we are more concerned about is your visceral fat. And this is a fat around your midriff."
He emphasised that the test is not about body shaming but about health awareness, adding on Instagram: "The string test is a quick and easy way to give a rough idea of your metabolic health."
The fundamental principle is straightforward: your waist measurement should be less than half your height. Exceeding this measurement is linked to an elevated risk of cardio-metabolic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
This makes the string test, in many respects, a more practical and useful initial screening tool than BMI, which fails to distinguish between fat distribution and muscle composition.
For those who still wish to calculate their BMI, the standard method is to divide your weight in kilogrammes by your height in metres squared. The NHS also provides an online calculator for this purpose.
