Check The Neck
By: Ray Doughty
Updated: July 20, 2010
A trip to the doctor's office can be pretty tough for some kids, especially when it comes time to measure body fat.
Now a new study finds taking measurements a new way might be more accurate and less embarrassing.
Doctors usually measure a child's body fat by calculating the Body Mass Index, or BMI, using the child's height and weight.
The measurement isn't always accurate.
"It also doesn't account for muscle mass," explains Dr. Laurie Berger of Texas Health Plano. "So I have some real fit athletes who come in, very muscular and they have elevated BMIs. They're healthy."
Studies prove neck thickness and obesity are related in adults, and a new University of Michigan study shows that instead of checking the waistline measuring the thickness of the neck might be a better way to see if your child is obese.
Dr. Berger says the study is promising, since the process of measuring a child's neck is easy to do.
