- Researchers examined the precision of Body Mass Index (BMI) in anticipating weight problems amongst grownups aged 20-59 years of ages.
- They discovered that BMI forecasted less than half of individuals with weight problems as forecasted by body fat portion.
- The findings suggest that extra steps to BMI must be required to determine healthy weight.
Body Mass Index (BMI) is an indication of weight classifications varying from underweight to overweight and is extensively utilized to examine the danger of different conditions. It is
However, increasing research study recommends that BMI is inadequate for anticipating body fat portion. This comes as it does not represent fat circulation around the body, muscle mass, bone density, and racial and sexual distinctions.
Further examination of the restrictions of BMI as a health sign might notify more efficient methods for examining weight and general health.
Recently, scientists examined the precision of BMI steps in anticipating weight problems.
Whereas just 36% of individuals were categorized as overweight by BMI, near 3 in 4 were thought about overweight according to steps of overall body fat portion.
Dr. Wang Lushun, Senior Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon in Singapore, not associated with the research study, informed Medical News Today:
“The study underscores the limitations of BMI as a singular measure of health, highlighting a possible need for a more comprehensive system. Such a system should factor in potential racial or ethnic disparities for a more accurate health assessment of each individual.”
Researchers provided the findings just recently at ENDO 2023, the Endocrine Society’s yearly conference in Chicago.
For the research study, the scientists examined information from 9,784 individuals with a typical age of 39 years of ages from the 2011-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
Data consisted of BMI and body fat portion computed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). BMIs were organized into ethnic-specific classifications.
Ultimately, 36% of individuals had a BMI of 30 or above, suggesting weight problems. However, when examined according to body fat portion, 74% of individuals were thought about overweight.
Many individuals with a BMI a sign of healthy weight- 18.5- 24.9- were categorized as overweight when representing body fat portion, consisting of:
- 27% of non-Hispanic Black individuals
- 44% of non-hispanic white individuals
- 49% of Hispanic individuals
- 49% of Asians
“It was very interesting to see that non-Hispanic Black people with overweight had 58% lower odds of obesity compared to non-Hispanic White people. This could be due to typical genetic weight distribution,” Dr. Erkeda de Rouen, a board licensed doctor in family, variety, and way of life medication, not associated with the research study, informed MNT.
MNT talked with Dr.Aayush Visaria, Internal Medicine Resident Physician and Public Health Researcher at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, among the research study’s authors, about its restrictions.
“While DEXA scans are quite sophisticated, they cannot differentiate subcutaneous from intramuscular from visceral fat. Visceral fat is generally the most harmful so future studies would need to selectively measure that using MRI or CT scans,” he said.
“In our analysis looking at racial/ethnic differences, we did not account for possible confounders such as dietary habits, physical activity patterns, sleep health, all of which can increase risk of obesity and may drive the differences seen between races/ethnicities,” he kept in mind.
Dr. de Rouen said: “[The researchers included] a wide range of participants, ranging from 18-59, yet did not reveal their age distribution. As age increases, the metabolism does the opposite. The gender disparity could also have affected the body composition, with women typically having more adipose tissue in the thigh and waist areas.”
Dr. Yvonne Covin, an Internal Medicine doctor in Dallas, Texas, not associated with the research study, informed MNT:
“While the gender distribution was balanced, the sample size for race/ethnicity was skewed, with non-Hispanic whites representing 61% of the sample. This raises concerns about the generalizability of the findings to the larger US population, particularly for ethnic minorities. Therefore, we must exercise caution when extrapolating the study’s findings to underrepresented ethnic groups.”
“Many population health initiatives use BMI to measure program success – our findings suggest there may need to be a move towards supplementing BMI with other measures to truly measure adiposity,” said Dr. Visaria.
Dr de Rouen said: “The study is showing that we are missing a large percentage of individuals who may be at higher risk for health conditions that are associated with obesity, such as diabetes, hypertension, and cancer, given the variety of individuals who were classified as obese using BMI. We should be using other measurements, such as body fat composition, to determine screenings and interventions for patients.”
“Although DEXA for body fat analysis is not widely used in routine clinical practice, this study reinforces the importance of considering body fat composition for counseling and preventive screenings,” said Dr. Covin.
“This study challenges our conventions of focusing lifestyle changes and preventative screenings on patients with BMI [of more than or equal to] 30. This study highlights the need for physicians to pay attention to patients with normal BMI for early detection of central body fatfor prompt intervention,” she concluded.
