BMI fine, Waist measurement issue

[rmcaine]

Hi there, looking for some support and advice.

We went for our medicals in the summer and have had our application on hold while we waited for an adoption process to take place. We got the rest of the paperwork yesterday and we were really pleased to send it off to INZ when our CO informed us that after looking at our case my hubby's waist measurement was 109cm when the suggested is 102cm. So he would be referring this to a Medical Assessor. I have to be honest I was a little annoyed that it took him this long after having the information for ages.

Does anyone think this will be a massive issue for us, will our application be turned down as a result. We had fasting bloods taken as it was and there were no abnormal results at the time.

Surely the MA only advises the CO who looks at the balance between our contribution to NZ (we are both teachers). I guess there is a chance it could be ok, what other tests could they ask for? Would they give him x amount of time to reduce his waist?

Feeling as flat as a pancake as we were really on our way... Anyone have similar experiences they could share?

[JandM]

Here's a link to some old threads on the forum about BMI and waist measurement. http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en...&aqi=&aql=&oq= And here's one member's wife's long-running saga. http://www.enz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=26174

I have to be honest I was a little annoyed that it took him this long after having the information for ages.

There is no point in being annoyed with a CO, who is an official following a rigid procedure to process your case. You've already said your case was on hold, so the CO won't have been reading it meantime - he'll have been working on all the others of his allocation. One of the rules the CO has to apply is that if there is anything on anyone's medical marked as beyond the normal by the doctor - in this case, your husband's waist measurement - it has to be referred to an MA.

The MAs' role is to check medicals referred to them to make sure that nobody is admitted if their present state of health is likely to cost the NZ health service more than $25,000. They have the right to ask for GP's or specialist's opinions, further tests to be carried out, deferment for improvement - any or all of those - and they can refuse to pass a medical.

The CO cannot influence the MA's findings, or hurry them, or ignore them. And the applicant cannot communicate directly with the MA. All the applicant can do is to comply promptly with the MA's requests, which will be aimed at getting a clear picture of their state of health.

It is not a massive issue, but it is something that has to be dealt with. You are unlikely to be refused on this point, but your husband will be investigated. Here's a link to more information about the health requirements. http://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/ (Go to A4.10)

Surely the MA only advises the CO who looks at the balance between our contribution to NZ

No, this isn't the case. The CO does not have the amount of discretion you thought. The kind of consideration you describe would only take place in the event of the need to apply for a medical waiver, and you're very unlikely to come to that.

I guess there is a chance it could be ok, what other tests could they ask for?

Yes, it could be okay. The MA may ask for your GP's opinion on why your husband's waist is larger than the guidelines, although his BMI is within them. If your GP can state an immediately acceptable reason - for example, that he is very heavily-muscled due to his spare-time activity of x - then that would probably be the end of it.

Would they give him x amount of time to reduce his waist?

As you will see from the last thread linked to above, this can happen.

If I was in your husband's shoes, I would go straight to the GP and explain what has happened, and that he is likely to be being asked for a report. The GP will know what kind of further tests, if any, are possible or likely in this situation, and/or he will be able to suggest a diet/exercise programme that would be suitable for whatever your husband's state is. If this is what happens, and your husband gets straight to work on the suggestions, when the request for a GP's report arrives, the GP will have information to hand, that Mr X reported on February 28th with a waist measurement of 109 cm, since when he has followed advice and now, four weeks later, it is 101 cm (we all hope). Or, if he hadn't managed to make quite all the necessary reduction, at least it could be stated to have started.

Good luck to him.

[rmcaine]

Fantastic reply, thanks ever so much. Feel a little better about the whole thing just hope they just give us a chance and dont just dump us on the "not in a million years pile". You obviously have a really good idea of the problems people face and I trust your experience.

[JandM]

There's no need to look on the black side (although we all go through the mood-swings bit). If your husband is reasonably fit and this small point is the only reason his medical has been referred, then it's just something to be faced and explained, or put right. One thought occurs to me - have you tried re-measuring with him consciously sucking in, and raising his arms above his shoulders? Also, thinking back to the medical, had he been having an indulgent time (someone's birthday cake? Christmas drinks parties?) in the week before? These things can make quite a difference.

[rmcaine]

lol, he had been trying really hard prior to the medical just for general health and well being. He kinda let it slide after that a little, we had just come back from holidays when the medical was done anyway. He is hard at it now anyway and he is going to suggest a cholesterol test from the docs and have a general chat and measure as you suggested, which was fab.

None of the other issues were flagged by the CO apart from waist size so let's hope the MA will look at the bigger picture. Apparently the decision is based on whether he will cost the health authority 25000 dollars in the first four years after assessment. We worked out this is prob the cost for a bipass over here so hopefully the MA will think him a low risk. It's impossible to tell, just like to be in control. Thanks for advise though, will try to cheer up and go with the flow

[rick78]

Make sure the waist was measured at the correct position and not around, ahem, the love handles lol.

I'm large build and have lost 6 stone or so over the past 6 years. I'm 14 stone, 6 foot 2 with a BMI of 26 but my waist was initially measured as 103cm. At the time I didn't think about it, but when I got home I remembered the cutoff is 102cm and so re-measured myself according to what the medical handbook says - above umbilicus and below ribs... I am 96cm!

I went back, she corrected it, and its all good... so make sure they measured in the right place!

[boorer]

Had the same thing - they asked for a fasting glucose and a cholesterol test - I starved myself and took every vitamin and mineral that even mentioned blood sugar and cholesterol - no idea if they helped, but my cholesterol was measured as LOWER than normal (bless my mother's Scandinavian genes!)!! We're in NZ now, so it worked!!

[JandM]

Make sure the waist was measured at the correct position and not around, ahem, the love handles lol.

That's an important point. The waist is defined as the smallest part between the hip-bones and the ribs. Some people count their waist as being level with the navel, but navel-level on the human body varies enormously. Also, there were people on here a while ago who thought the waist was the level where the top of your trousers comes to (at a time when the fashion was for hipsters).

[just hoping]

Evening, from my experience tyhe waist measurment isnt to much of an issue its more to do with BMI, as long as your healthy and no other problems elsewhere i think yu should be ok, my waist is still above the limit but as i have dropped the best part of 11 stone since the summer the MA as said its fine, but different MA different rules i think

all the best

[rmcaine]

Thanks for the posts guys they have been really helpful. Spoke with CO today after fretting all weekend as you can tell lol, he told hubby there shouldn't be a major problem as everything else is ok its just the new tightening of the guidelines regarding meds. He said the worst that would come would be some more blood tests for cholesterol and liver function. There is still hope yippee!!!!