Table 1.

Utility of different techniques in the measurement of adiposity in obese individuals

Technique	Clinical utility	Visceral adiposity estimate
Body mass index	+++	+
Waist circumference	+++	++
Waist to hip ratio	+++	++
Waist height ratio	+++	++
Computrized tomography	++	++++
Magnetic resonance imaging	++	++++
Dual X-ray absorptiometry	+++	+++

This table compares the clinical utility of different noninvasive techniques in the measurement of adiposity and the ability of each technique to estimate visceral adiposity where + = adequate and ++++ = optimal.