Obesity Diagnosis Needs Change, Study Says Fat Distribution More Important Than BMI

Including those individuals with lower BMI but higher visceral fat in the definition of obesity, reduces the risk of undertreatment in comparison to the current BMI-based definition, the researchers noted. (Credit: Image by jcomp on Freepik)

The obesity diagnosis should not be limited to just checking the Body Mass Index (BMI). A recent study revealed that assessing distribution of body fat is more crucial than solely relying on BMI.

The researchers of the latest study put forth a new framework for the diagnosis, staging, and management of obesity in adults as they say limiting the diagnosis to a BMI cut-off level of 30 may exclude many people who would benefit from obesity treatment.