TEL AVIV-YAFO, Israel — Israeli researchers are challenging the prevailing use of the Body Mass Index as a measure of obesity, suggesting that body fat percentage is a more accurate indicator of an individual’s overall health. The findings further suggest that one-third of people currently considered of normal weight are actually obese.
The study comes at a pivotal time. A report released by the World Obesity Atlas in March predicted that more than 4 billion people—51% of the world’s population—will be obese by 2035. The report also estimated that the cost of treating obesity-related medical conditions will climb to $4 trillion per year.
