Today, a group of influential medical experts has released a new definition of obesity. This new definition would officially classify almost 70% of adults in the United States as obese. We were excited to have Dr. Lindsay Fourman, the author of this pioneering research herself, join us from Mass General Brigham. This unexpected development is a direct outcome of her findings. The research indicates that the BMI, a long-time standard for gauging overall health, may be failing to capture the new complexity of obesity.
In January, this call for a more refined definition came from within the medical community, suggesting the need for a more complex classification system. This new definition classifies an additional 78,047 of the participants as having obesity. This is a huge jump from evaluations based solely on BMI. The usual definition would consider people with a BMI of 30 or higher to be obese. This method doesn’t differentiate fat from muscle, which can result in faulty classifications.
As a result, the researchers discovered that under the new criteria an alarming 206,361 participants—that’s about 69%—would have been identified as obese. In comparison, just 128,992 participants (43%) would qualify under the conventional obesity standards. This almost 60% rise over two decades shows that we need a more expansive view of obesity and related health risks.
Furthermore, the new definition categorizes obesity into two distinct types: clinical obesity and pre-clinical obesity. Clinical obesity is one defined by very visible signs of disease while pre-clinical obesity does not exhibit those same symptoms. This distinction is critical for health risk stratification, enabling more precisely targeted interventions and support.
The impact of this expanded definition on the rate of obesity is especially stark among older adults. For Americans aged 70 years or older, the rate increases to a shocking 78%. Interestingly, their data further shows that men exhibit a significantly larger escalation in obesity rates relative to women. Of all the ethnic groups, the Asian population sees the largest relative increase in their obesity rate with this new definition.
“Our data show that these individuals have a heightened risk of organ dysfunction and long-term health complications, suggesting that their classification as having obesity is clinically appropriate,” – Dr. Lindsay Fourman.
The impacts of what these statistics mean go far beyond just numbers. Experts emphasize that recognizing individuals with pre-clinical obesity can lead to more accurate health risk assessments and improved treatment strategies.
“Recognising people with [this type of] obesity can lead to more accurate health risk stratification,” – an unnamed source stated.
There’s no need to illustrate how important it is to get a handle on climbing obesity rates. The combination of these trends pose particularly big challenges in high-income countries, such as the UK. The increase in obesity rates, underlined during the pandemic, emphasizes the need for proven solutions that help people live healthier.
“Regardless of definitions, it’s clear that current obesity levels pose major challenges especially in high-income countries like the UK, with rising weight levels underscoring the urgent need for more effective strategies to support healthier living,” – another expert remarked.