here’s a summary of the article, broken down โinto key points:
* New Obesity Definition: Aโ new definition of obesity, released by the Lancetโ Diabetes and Endocrinology Commission, expands โขbeyond justโ Body Mass Index (BMI) to include measurements of โbody fat distribution โ(like waist circumference).
* Considerably Higher Prevalence: Using this new definition, obesity prevalence in a study of over 300,000 Americans jumped from roughly 40% to around 70%.
* Anthropometric-Only Obesity: A โkey finding is the identification of a group with “anthropometric-only obesity” โข- people with a normal BMI but with unhealthy fat distribution. This group makes up a large portion of the increase in obesity rates.
* Increasedโฃ Health Risks: โ Those classified as obeseโ under the new definition, โฃ especially those with anthropometric-only obesity, showed โa higher risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mortality compared to those not consideredโ obese.
* Age Impact: The increase in obesityโค prevalence was most pronounced in older adults, with nearly 80% of those over 70 โbeing classified as obese under the new criteria.
* Clinical โคvs. Preclinical obesity: The new definitionโข also differentiates betweenโ preclinical (excess fat) and clinical (excess fat with health problems) obesity. About half โof those meeting theโฃ newโค criteria had clinical obesity.
* Needโ for New Approaches: โข Researchers believe this new understanding necessitates a re-evaluation of treatmentโค strategiesโค and prioritization of approaches to address excess fat, even in individuals with normal BMIs.
* Endorsement: The new guidelines have been endorsed by at least 76 organizations, including the American โคHeart Association and The Obesity โฃSociety.
In essence, the articleโข highlights that relying solely onโ BMI may underestimate the true extent ofโฃ obesity and its associated health risks, and that focusing on body fat distribution is crucial for a more accurate assessment.
