Why belly fat is dangerous – and how to get rid of it

SZ-Magazine: Ms. Schäfer, how many people in Germany have big bellies?
Silja Schaefer: We don’t know that exactly because nobody records the waist circumference. Unfortunately, we still define obesity using the body mass index, i.e. weight in relation to height.

And is that wrong?
The BMI, as the abbreviation is called, is outdated. A muscular man is therefore quickly considered overweight, although he may not be fat at all – in the sense of fat that causes illness. Waist circumference, which we use indirectly to estimate abdominal fat, is more important for health.