new obesity criteria We’re putting more Americans in that category.
Massachusetts General Brigham researchers are proposing a major update to how obesity is defined, which would result in nearly 70% of U.S. adults being classified as obese, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open.
The new benchmark adds waist and body fat measurements to your BMI, revealing your body fat location as well as your overall body fat location. body weight.
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These new criteria increase the estimated obesity rate in the United States from 42.9% to nearly 70% after testing 300,000 people.
This captures a wide variety of people who may have previously been considered healthy, but are actually at higher risk for diseases such as: heart disease And diabetes.
The highest rate of increase was senior citizenthe researchers noted, as nearly 80% of participants aged 70 and older met criteria for obesity.
This study highlights the limitations of BMI-based approaches, which do not take into account how fat stored throughout the body can predict overall health.
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Co-lead author Dr. Lindsay Forman, an endocrinologist in the Division of Endocrinology at Brigham General Hospital in Massachusetts, reacted to these findings in a statement.
“We already thought we had an obesity epidemic, but this is surprising,” she says. “We need to better understand what fat looks like, as 70% of the adult population may now have excess fat. treatment approach Prioritize. ”
According to endocrinology expert Dr. Philip Rabito, abdominal fat accumulation, known as visceral fat, “has long been recognized to be metabolically harmful.” weight loss New York City Wellness.
It’s also associated with an increased risk of diseases such as diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, he told Fox News Digital.
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Redefining obesity to include patients with high-risk fat distribution could help “direct more clinical attention and resources” to this “vulnerable” group, Rabito suggested.
“Furthermore, many more of these patients GLP‑1-based therapy “This may significantly reduce future cardiovascular risk compared to previous definitions,” he added.
Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and founder of Pose Life, said she was not surprised by the study’s findings.
“I’ve been watching this trend play out in my clinic for years,” a Texas-based doctor told FOX News Digital. “My biggest concern is that headlines like this often rely almost exclusively on weight-based metrics such as BMI, which is a blunt tool and misses out on what is actually the long-term driver.” health risks. ”
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She added: “From a physiological and metabolic perspective, fat distribution is much more important than body weight alone.”
Professor Haber reiterated that visceral fat, stored deep in the abdominal organs, is the “main cause” of obesity. insulin resistancerisk of cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease, and inflammation. The fat visible on the surface, called subcutaneous fat, does not carry the same metabolic risks when combined with “adequate muscle mass.”
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“In my patient population, I routinely see people who technically meet criteria for obesity based on BMI, but who have high lean muscle mass, relatively low visceral fat, and excellent metabolic health,” she says.
“This group makes up approximately 20% of patients classified as obese in my practice, and they require completely different counseling and treatment. Nutritional recommendations than in patients with significant visceral fat accumulation. ”
Focusing solely on weight can obscure who is “really at risk” and reinforce stigma by distracting from the “real issue” of metabolic health, Haver warned.
“A tool to assess markers of body composition, waist circumference, and weight.” insulin resistance “It gives us a much more accurate picture than we had on previous scales,” she said.
The doctor predicted that the obesity population is likely to improve with the expansion of GLP-1 therapeutics.
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“But unless we move the conversation from weight alone to body composition and fat distribution, we will continue to misclassify risk and miss opportunities for more personalized and effective care,” she added.
