The tests, in plain English
Start with your regular doctor and the basics: your weight, waist size, blood pressure, blood sugar and a cholesterol panel. Together they show whether your weight is affecting your health. A body scan or a metabolic rate test can add detail. Medicines, including GLP-1 drugs, are an option for some people, alongside changes to eating and activity.
Think of your weight like the balance on a bank statement. It tells you the total, but not where it's going. These tests read the line items: how much of you is fat, where it sits, and what it's doing to your blood sugar, blood pressure and liver.
Weight, BMI and waist
BMI, body mass index, compares your weight with your height. It's a quick screen, but it can't tell fat from muscle or show where fat sits. A waist over 35 inches for women or 40 for men is linked to more health problems.
Blood sugar (A1C)
Shows your average blood sugar over the past two or three months.
Blood pressure and cholesterol
Extra weight can raise your blood pressure and add to the conditions that lead to heart disease.
Liver tests
Fatty liver, when extra fat builds up inside the liver, most often affects people with extra weight.
Thyroid test
An underactive thyroid can bring weight gain and tiredness, but both are common and often have other causes.
Body composition (DEXA)
A low-dose X-ray scan that splits your weight into fat, muscle and bone, region by region.
Cash price: $65 to $249
Resting metabolic rate
Measures how many calories your body burns at rest, by reading your breath while you lie still.
Cash price: $50 to $300
Prices that clinics publish on their own websites, across all the cities we cover. Prices change, so confirm with the clinic.
Weight in Chicago, by the numbers
The rate of obesity in Chicago is a bit lower than the national rate. In Chicago, 32.0% of adults have obesity, compared with 33.2% nationally. That adds up to roughly 2,100,000 adults across seven counties.
By county
| County | Obesity | No exercise outside work | Diagnosed diabetes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cook | 31.0% | 23.3% | 11.8% |
| DuPage | 29.2% | 19.0% | 10.0% |
| Lake | 32.9% | 19.9% | 11.2% |
| Will | 38.0% | 24.0% | 10.7% |
| Kane | 35.1% | 23.1% | 11.5% |
| McHenry | 32.1% | 20.9% | 10.5% |
| Kendall | 39.7% | 19.5% | 9.4% |
| Chicago | 32.0% | 22.4% | 11.4% |
| United States | 33.2% | 25.1% | 12.1% |
Source: CDC PLACES, 2023 county estimates. Chicago = Cook, DuPage, Lake, Kane, McHenry, Will and Kendall counties, weighted by adult population.
longevityclinicshub.comYour regular doctor can check your weight, waist and blood pressure at a routine visit. The tests above add detail if you want a closer look.
