Millions more Americans now deemed obese under shocking new weight measure
Researchers in Israel analyzed data on 44,000 adults in the US, including nearly 15,000 marked as overweight using existing methods.
But under the new framework, they found some 18.8 percent of overweight adults, or one in five, were re-classified as obese.
Overall, this translated into America having an obesity rate of 54.2 percent, or a new record. The US already has the highest obesity rate out of any large country.
In the new method from Europe, researchers still consider anyone with a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 30 kg/m2 as obese.
But they also re-classify anyone who is overweight (a BMI or 25 to 29.9 kg/m2) and has an obesity-related condition, like diabetes or high blood pressure, into the category.
Researchers said the new definition reveals the overall toll of obesity in the nation, and the surging number of people already suffering from obesity-related conditions like stroke, heart disease and early death.
It also revealed how millions who consider themselves 'just a little overweight' could now be suffering from a weight-related complication.
About 42.4 percent of adults in the US are obese, while 30.7 percent, or one in three, are considered overweight.
For the study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers analyzed data from NHANES, an annual survey tracking participants, including their BMI and underlying conditions.
Participants had all submitted data between 1999 and 2018, and were aged 43.4 years old on average. About half were women.
The study found that using BMI alone, about 35.4 percent of participants were considered obese, while 33.3 percent were considered overweight and 31.3 percent were considered to be a healthy weight.
But after using the new method, developed by The European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO), a total of 54.2 percent were defined as obese.
Of the individuals moved from the overweight to the obese category, they were more likely to be older, with an average age of 51.3 years compared to 36.5 years among those in the overweight category.
They were also more likely to be male, and to have at least one underlying condition, with 57.5 percent having one underlying condition like diabetes compared to 34.3 percent in the overweight group.
Among the conditions, high blood pressure (79 percent of the group) was most common, followed by arthritis (33.2 percent) and diabetes (15.6 percent).
EASO published its new framework in July last year, and some countries, including Ireland and the Netherlands, have already adopted parts of it.
The framework recommends surgeons calculate a patient's BMI and then assess underlying health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure.
Under the guidelines, anyone whose BMI is above 30 kg/m2 is automatically classified as obese. But those who are overweight, with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 kg/m2, and have at least one obesity-related health condition are also considered obese.
The framework has not been adopted by other major organizations like the World Health Organization, which still recommends using BMI.
It can help someone to be defined as obese because it may lead to them being targeted for early interventions to prevent complications like heart disease or stroke.
It could also make it easier for them to access medications like Ozempic and help the patient recognize that they may need care.
For the study, researchers also analyzed participants for their mortality risk, or risk of death.
They found those who were redefined as obese had a similar mortality risk to those who were overweight, but a 50 percent higher risk than those of the healthy weight.
In the study, the researchers wrote that the EASO framework may provide a 'more sensitive tool for diagnosing obesity disease earlier'.
It added that some people may have experienced unintentional weight loss due to underlying conditions, which may previously have led them to be included in the overweight category.
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