How fat arms can be the sign of so many health conditions including dementia. Doctors reveal the exact circumference that puts you in danger By Pat Hagan Published: 01:58, 13 August 2024 | Updated: 02:06, 13 August 2024 e-mail View comments We've long been told to watch our waistlines. Along with a high body mass index (BMI), too much tummy fat is a red flag for health problems such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes .
A BMI for adults over 25 is considered overweight, while 30 or above is obese. But should we also be looking elsewhere for warning signs? Our arms? If arm circumference (taken halfway between the shoulder and the elbow) is more than 32cm (12.5 in) someone is likely to be obese – and recent studies suggest carrying more fat around the arms may mean a greater risk of Alzheimer's , heart disease, fatty liver disease and even osteoporosis.
In some cases, risks were raised even when BMI was healthy. Like the fat stored around the legs, arm fat was previously thought to be largely benign, or at least less harmful than fat stored around the abdomen – which is a sign that someone also has more visceral fat (a more harmful type that's stored in and around our organs). Recent studies suggest carrying more fat around the arms may mean a greater risk of Alzheimer's, heart disease, fatty liver disease and even osteoporosis However, research published a few weeks ago by scientists at Sichuan University in Chengdu, China , suggests otherwise.
The researchers analysed da.