Body Roundness Index (BRI)

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Body Roundness Index (BRI)

Anthropometric measure to estimate body fat and cardiometabolic risk

All tools /

Body Roundness Index (BRI)

Anthropometric measure to estimate body fat and cardiometabolic risk

Units

Choose measurement system

Height (cm)

Enter standing height in centimeters.

Waist circumference (cm)

Measure midway between the lowest rib and the iliac crest.

BRI: 2.82 · WHtR: 0.471

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Instructions

The Body Roundness Index (BRI) is a body shape measure that estimates fat distribution and overall health risk based on waist circumference and height. To calculate BRI, measure waist circumference in centimeters and height in meters. Use these values in the BRI formula or a validated calculator. The index produces a value that corresponds to categories of body fatness and cardiometabolic risk. This tool is not a replacement for clinical judgment but helps identify individuals at higher risk of obesity-related diseases.

Overview

When to use

Why use

Evidences

Interpretation

BRI = 364.2 - 365.5 × {1 − [(Waist Circumference/2π)/(0.5 × Height)]2}1/2

BRI Range	Interpretation
< 3.5	Lean/normal shape
3.5 – 5.0	Overweight tendency
5.0 – 6.5	Obese
> 6.5	Severely obese/very round shape

The Body Roundness Index (BRI) was introduced in 2013 by Thomas and colleagues as a height-independent shape metric derived from an elliptical model of the human body, linking waist circumference and height to predict percent body fat and visceral adipose tissue; BRI slightly improved prediction of total and visceral fat versus BMI, waist, or hip alone, and provided proposed “healthy” ranges
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23519954/

A 2020 systematic review/meta-analysis found BRI had good discriminatory power for metabolic syndrome (AUC >0.7), outperforming BMI, WHR, ABSI, and BAI, performing similarly to waist circumference and somewhat below waist-to-height ratio; pooled odds supported higher MetS risk with increasing BRI

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32267621/

A 2024 US cohort analysis reported a U-shaped association between BRI and all-cause mortality among adults, extending prior evidence that extremes of body roundness carry elevated risk independent of BMI in population data
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2819558

Pediatric/young cohorts show BRI and waist-to-height ratio outperform BMI and ABSI for identifying hypertension and abdominal obesity, supporting BRI’s link to central adiposity across ages
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8976678/

Overview

When to use

Why use

Evidences

The Body Roundness Index (BRI) is an anthropometric tool designed to assess body fat distribution and associated health risks more accurately than traditional measures like Body Mass Index (BMI). While BMI only considers weight relative to height, BRI incorporates waist circumference, offering a closer link to central obesity and cardiometabolic outcomes.

Developed as a geometric model, BRI estimates body shape on a scale where lower scores indicate leanness and higher scores suggest roundness and increased fat accumulation. This distinction is clinically important because abdominal fat, rather than overall body weight, is strongly associated with conditions such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome.

BRI values can be used to estimate body fat percentage and visceral adiposity, making it useful for both research and clinical practice. It is noninvasive, inexpensive, and requires only a measuring tape and stadiometer. Compared with BMI, it has been found to be more predictive of cardiovascular risk factors, though it is less commonly used in routine practice.

Overview

When to use

Why use

Evidences

Interpretation

BRI = 364.2 - 365.5 × {1 − [(Waist Circumference/2π)/(0.5 × Height)]2}1/2

BRI Range	Interpretation
< 3.5	Lean/normal shape
3.5 – 5.0	Overweight tendency
5.0 – 6.5	Obese
> 6.5	Severely obese/very round shape