5 Health Markers That Are More Important Than Weight

If you’re following the Olympics this year, you may have heard Ilona Maher famously sharing that she has a body-mass index (BMI) of 30. As an almost 6-foot-tall rugby player, she uniquely understands that her weight may not be the most important factor for her health. But is she an outlier, or is there more to this story for those of us that aren’t high-performing athletes?

Contrary to what you may think, weight isn’t the singular predictor of overall health. Many people can be healthy at a higher weight than you might expect, and many people can be less healthy at lower weights, confirms Jamie Nadeau, RD. Plus, weight distribution—or where you store your weight—might be more important than the number on the scale alone, says Dr. Spencer Nadolsky, D.O, medical director for Weight Watchers. 

We spoke to healthcare providers and dietitians to discuss the nuance here, and find out which health markers are just as important—or possibly more important—than weight

5 Health Markers That Are Just As Important As Your Weight

Aside from weight, it is important to visit your primary care provider yearly and, when warranted, get a comprehensive lab panel completed to assess overall health. This often includes an assessment of cholesterol, blood sugar levels, inflammation markers and thyroid, kidney and liver function. These markers can provide a more complete picture of health that might not be reflected by weight alone, Nadeau shares. Let’s dive into some of the most important health markers you’ll want to consider.

1. Hemoglobin A1c

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is a measure of your blood sugar levels on average over the last three months. Considering the 38 million folks with diabetes in the U.S., this health metric can be a crucial warning sign if you’re heading in the direction of elevated blood sugar levels. It is also used as the diagnostic criteria for prediabetes and diabetes. “Blood glucose is arguably more important than weight because elevated blood sugar levels can lead to medical complications such as heart disease, kidney disease, vascular disease and vision impairment,” says Lauren Harris-Pincus, M.S., RDN, founder of NutritionStarringYOU.com and author of The Everything Easy Pre-Diabetes Cookbook.

While many people with diabetes and prediabetes also have elevated BMIs, there are a significant number of people with a “normal” BMI and high blood glucose levels. Weight does not tell the whole story, Harris-Pincus adds.

2. Blood Pressure

Blood pressure, which can be affected by our weight, is a very important health marker. In fact, it can have just as much, if not more, impact on our health outcomes than our weight, advises Dr. Nadolsky. 

Blood pressure is a health marker that you might not necessarily “feel” when it is elevated; yet, it can still be cause for concern for your health. “Even at modest levels like 130 over 80 mmHg, high blood pressure can cause silent damage, leading to heart disease, stroke and issues with the eyes and kidneys,” comments Michelle Routhenstein, M.S., RD, CDCES, CDN, preventive cardiology dietitian.

3. Cholesterol

Cholesterol levels—often measured in a blood lipid panel—is another crucial metabolic health marker that you may want to have checked on regularly. A lipid panel checks for potentially harmful fats circulating in the blood which over time may cause blockages in the arteries and increase one’s risk for heart disease or stroke, offers physician assistant Anthony Carli, PA-C.

Shift your focus from the number on the scale to health markers that take a look under the hood and give a more meaningful picture of your metabolic fitness. Using the “ABCs” of health markers—HbA1c, blood pressure and cholesterol—can help clarify your health status just as much as (and sometimes more than) monitoring your body weight.

4. Waist-to-Hip Ratio

Body weight alone doesn’t tell the full story of health. In fact, some research suggests that waist-to-hip ratio may be a better health marker than BMI.

Body weight does not provide information on how an individual’s body fat is distributed on their body, says Mandy Tyler, M.Ed., RD, CSSD, LD. Waist-to-hip ratio helps us take into account weight distribution and body composition, which provides helpful context about disease risk. For example, folks with a higher body weight or BMI may carry a significant amount of muscle mass and lower amount of fat mass. Thus, their waist-to-hip ratio may be within a healthy range as a result. Accumulating  body fat around the abdominal area (often referred to as visceral fat) is associated with increased health risks—such as the development of high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels and type 2 diabetes, Tyler suggests.

While we may not have control over the way our body distributes and stores fat mass, this measure gives more of a well-rounded look at disease risk compared to weight alone. 

5. Resting Heart Rate

Cardiovascular function and fitness can be easily assessed by monitoring your heart rate at rest. Lifestyle factors like physical activity level, sleep and stress all contribute to an elevated resting heart rate, which might put you at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease.

To reduce your risk and keep your resting heart rate in a healthy range, dietitian Barbara Roberts, M.S., RDN, CDCES suggests engaging in physical activity for 150 minutes at a moderate intensity per week. By using the “talk test”, you can condition your cardiovascular system to work more effectively. To perform this test, you should be able to talk through your activity, but not sing, while exercising. Over time, you may need to add time or increase intensity to meet the same physical activity demands to maintain cardiovascular conditioning, Roberts shares.

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, weight loss doesn’t always equal better health. Your lifestyle choices, genetics and environment could even be better predictors of overall health than your body weight. It’s important to regularly check in with your healthcare team, reviewing health markers through lab work like the “ABC’s”—HbA1c, blood pressure and cholesterol. Consider that you can be healthy at a range of sizes (and weights) if your markers reflect healthy levels. Body composition and weight distribution also matter. If you carry more muscle and are more physically active, you might have a higher body weight while your waist-to-hip ratio and heart rate are in a healthy range. Health is a nuanced topic with a variety of factors that influence it, so it should be measured more comprehensively than exclusively focusing on the scale.