A new definition of obesity would classify more than three-quarters of US adults as having the condition, according to a recent study.
Using the traditional measure – a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher – around 43 per cent of Americans are currently considered obese. But when researchers applied a broader definition that also includes waist-to-height and waist-to-hip ratios, the estimated prevalence jumped to 75.2 per cent.
The analysis, led by scientists from Yale School of Medicine and Harvard University, suggests that relying on BMI alone may substantially underestimate how many people have excess body fat.
“BMI is a simple calculation based on weight and height,” study lead Dr Nora Al-Roub from the Yale School of Public Health told BBC Science Focus. “Although it’s easy to calculate, it doesn’t tell us where fat is stored in the body or how much of a person’s weight is fat versus muscle.”
