What Can Your Neck Size Tell You About Your Health?

BMI is thrown around a lot as a supposed health metric, but let’s be real: on an individual level, it sucks. In fact, its originator (who was not a physician) never intended it to be used like that at all. 

BMI is calculated using weight and height to produce a score that places someone on a scale from “underweight” to “extremely obese”, with “healthy” somewhere in the middle there. But labeling certain BMI scores as “good”, with no consideration for the many other factors impacting an individual’s health, is now widely accepted as bogus. 

One example of this that’s used a lot is that of bodybuilders or other athletes with high muscle mass. Muscle is heavy, so those carrying a lot of it will have a higher bodyweight that can easily push their BMI into the “unhealthy” ranges despite their body fat percentages and other health markers being optimal.

With the realization that BMI is being misused has come a gradually better understanding of the importance of body composition. For example, it’s now thought that visceral fat that collects around the organs in the abdominal cavity is more relevant to health than fat accumulation in other parts of the body. 

Waist circumference is often used as a proxy for visceral fat, but in a recent article for The Conversation, researchers at Kingston University highlighted another metric that you probably haven’t thought of before: neck size.

“Research shows that people with larger necks relative to their body size face increased risks of several serious health conditions,” wrote senior lecturers Ahmed Elbediwy and Nadine Wehida. “The connection lies in what neck size reveals about fat distribution, particularly in the upper body.”

One study led by biostatisticians at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health concluded that “neck circumference may have a unique genetic basis independent of BMI.” A 2019 study of over 4,600 people in Chile suggested that neck circumference could even one day replace waist circumference as a clinical metric.

There’s a body of research that the Elbediwy and Wehida point to suggesting that neck circumference is correlated with conditions like high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation (an abnormal heart rhythm), and coronary artery disease. There’s also a reported link with type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea. 

A 2025 study also linked increased neck circumference with polycystic ovary syndrome, but said further studies with more diverse populations were needed.

What size neck is considered a potential health risk?

We see you reaching for the tape measure. But what constitutes a potentially concerning neck size?

“For men, 17 inches (43cm) or greater increases health risks. For women, the threshold is 14 inches (35.5cm) or greater,” write Elbediwy and Wehida, citing data from the Framingham Heart Study, a long-running cardiovascular disease research project that’s now seen three generations of participants. 

The research they cite, from 2022, found that neck size was statistically correlated with atrial fibrillation even after adjusting for BMI, waist circumference, height, and weight – although its authors did point out that the association was strongest among people with obesity. It’s just one study, and its authors said more research was needed to understand whether there was a causal relationship going on. 

The advice for optimizing levels of upper body fat still remains the same: eat a balanced diet and get regular exercise. Following these tips could help reduce the circumference of your neck somewhat. But if it measures higher than these thresholds, don’t panic. It’s still just one part of the big picture that is you and your body. 

 The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.