BOSTON — A revolutionary change in how doctors define obesity could fundamentally reshape medical practice, according to research analyzing health data from over 300,000 Americans.
Scientists found that adopting a new obesity framework endorsed by 76 professional medical organizations increased obesity rates from 42.9% to 68.6% among study participants. This dramatic jump stems from including people who have dangerous belly fat despite maintaining what doctors previously considered a healthy weight.
Published in JAMA Network Open, the study analyzed data from the All of Us research program and represents the first large-scale examination of how new obesity guidelines would affect healthcare. The research tracked participants for four years to document real health outcomes, not just theoretical classifications.
Beyond the Scale: Why Waist Size Matters
Rather than relying solely on the height-to-weight calculation that has dominated medicine for decades, the new approach incorporates waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and waist-to-height ratio alongside BMI to create a more complete health assessment.
The research team, led by endocrinologist Dr. Lindsay Fourman from Massachusetts General Hospital, found that traditional BMI measurements miss many people with dangerous fat distribution patterns. The research team found that belly fat, regardless of overall weight, serves as a key predictor of metabolic disease.
https://www.newsweek.com/70-percent-american-adults-obese-more-accurate-definition-10889636
