Belly-Fat Myths That Need to Go Away

Although body mass index is currently the best indicator of whether someone should be considered overweight or obese, experts agree that it's not foolproof. Waistline, it turns out, also plays a major role in health outcomes: In a 2014 Mayo Clinic study, men and women with a large waist circumference were more likely to die younger (and more likely to die from heart disease, respiratory problems and cancer) than their slimmer peers, even when they had BMIs in the "healthy" range.