More than 75% of US adults may meet criteria for obesity under new definition: Study

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Guardian

December 29, 2025, 1:23 PM


A new definition of obesity could nearly double the prevalence of U.S. adults with the condition, according to a study published Monday.

For decades, doctors have relied on body mass index (BMI) -- a tool that uses height and weight to estimate body fat -- to determine obesity.

A team of researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University, Yale University and Yale New Haven Health, found that BMI alone may significantly underestimate how many U.S adults have obesity.

Using a new definition that includes waist-based measurements, the team found that more than 75% of adults may meet criteria for obesity compared to 40% when using BMI alone.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/75-us-adults-meet-criteria-obesity-new-definition/story?id=128747616

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Link to JAMA study PUBLICATION - Body Mass Index and Anthropometric Criteria to Assess Obesity

[underpants]

1. I'll stick with BMI thank you. 3 links in I can't find the definition

[sinkingfeeling]

3. Here's the links to the BRI and BMI calculators.

BRI - https://www.pbrc.edu/research-and-faculty/calculators/brc.aspx

BMI - https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/calculate-your-bmi

[underpants]

8. Okay. I stay at 220 for the BMI

I’m not asking you to do anything but I don’t see the actual BRI calculator.

[Vinca]

2. Uh huh. Why do smell the whiff of big pharma around the edges? I love when they do this. It's not the first time

they've changed a standard when the obvious outcome means doctors will recommend more expensive drugs to their patients.

[TheRickles]

6. Exactly. Maybe someday the focus can embrace lifestyle changes like nutrition, exercise and stress management.

Those options are effective but not patentable, so the profit motive won't be the driving force as it is for so much in the American health care industry.

[yardwork]

9. The Trump admin is all about the new weight loss drugs.

It's RFK, Jr's solution to everything.

[NotHardly]

10. Has RFKjr seen Trump?

[NickB79]

11. This has been known for years

There have been studies going back a decade that found this. This one is from 2011.

https://www.nature.com/articles/ijo2011100

We found that 29% of subjects classified as lean and 80% of individuals classified as overweight according to BMI had a BF% within the obesity range.

The primary reason is that people who score as a "healthy weight" on the BMI scale, and don't appear obese, are in reality severely under-muscled due to lack of physical activity.

It's ironic that people have been claiming that BMI isn't accurate for years. When more accurate measurements are included that show that BMI actually underestimates obesity, that too is rejected. It's almost like a sizeable portion of the population just wants to ignore the serious health effects of obesity because it's uncomfortable to address.

[angrychair]

4. BMI is junk science

There is absolutely no scientific evidence to support BMI as an accurate assessment of a "healthy" weight.
My spouse and I are perfect examples. Despite appearances, our blood chemistry is perfect and heart, lungs, liver and kidneys are functioning normally. Leg and feet joints are a little beat up to be fair but that's it and mine is mostly due to a lot of hiking, walking and falling. We are otherwise in good condition, not taking any maintenance meds for things like blood sugar or high blood pressure.

The idea of using waist measurement sounds even less scientifically accurate than BMI.

[raccoon]

5. Well, Just Change back to the old definition!

:

[OC375]

7. Move More

That's 50% of it for the majority of people. That part's free. Drop the phone. Get up. Live life.

The quality, and quantities, and sometimes the circumstances behind what many of us end up regularly eating is another matter entirely...