A new study from Mass General Brigham has revealed something surprising: almost 70% of U.S. adults may now be considered obese under a new definition. This change comes from updated guidelines by the Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology Commission, which suggest that we need to look beyond just weight and height when measuring obesity.
What’s New About the Definition? For years, doctors used Body Mass Index (BMI) to decide if someone was obese. BMI compares a person’s weight to their height. But BMI doesn’t show where fat is stored or how it affects health. That’s why the new definition includes other body measurements like:
· Waist size
· Waist-to-height ratio
· Waist-to-hip ratio Now, someone can be considered obese even if their BMI is normal—if they have too much fat around their belly or other areas that increase health risks. [msn.com]
Why This Matters
Using the new definition, researchers looked at data from over 300,000 people in the NIH’s All of Us Research Program. They found that obesity rates jumped from 42.9% to 68.6%. Among older adults, the number was even higher—nearly 80%. [massgenera…righam.org]
This isn’t just about numbers. People who were newly classified as obese had higher risks of diabetes, heart disease, and even early death. That means many people who thought they were healthy might actually be at risk. [usnews.com]
What Doctors Are Saying
Dr. Lindsay Fourman, one of the study’s authors, said,
“We already thought we had an obesity epidemic, but this is astounding.” [msn.com]
Experts agree that body composition matters—not just how much you weigh, but where your fat is stored. This could change how doctors treat obesity and who qualifies for help like medications or surgery. [pbrc.edu]
What’s Next?
The new definition has been supported by over 75 health organizations, including the American Heart Association and The Obesity Society. Researchers say more studies are needed to find the best ways to help people with this newly defined type of obesity. [jamanetwork.com]
Sources: Medical Xpress | MSN [msn.com] Mass General Brigham Study [massgenera…righam.org] Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology Commission [pbrc.edu] Harvard Gazette Coverage [news.harvard.edu] NIH All of Us Research Program [researchallofus.org] JAMA Network Open Publication [jamanetwork.com]
