According to an analysis done by The Mayo Clinic on 15,923 patients, those with coronary artery disease and excess fat around the waist have an increased risk of death, even if they have a normal Body Mass Index.

In fact, the risk went up by 75% for those who had larger waists compared with those who had thin waists without too much fat, even in those with a normal BMI of 20 to 25.

“BMI is just a measure of weight in proportion to height. What seems to be more important is how the fat is distributed on the body”, said Dr. Thais Coutinho of the Mayo Clinic.

Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez said that the type of fat around the waist, visceral fat, is more harmful because it is more active metabolically. In comparison to fat located in other parts of the body like the legs and buttocks, it causes more changes in blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.

The study, which was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, said people who have waist fat should try to lose the weight in an effort to protect their health. It was also suggested that doctors should take the time to measure a patient’s waist to hip ratio to get a better idea of whether or not they’re carrying around too much belly fat.