A new definition of obesity could dramatically increase the number of Americans considered obese.
Under the new definition, the prevalence of obesity rose from around 40% to nearly 70% among more than 300,000 people participating in a long-term health study, researchers reported Oct. 15 in JAMA Network Open.
The new definition takes into account additional measures of excess body fat rather than just relying on body mass index. BMI is an estimate of body fat based on height and weight.
"We already thought we had an obesity epidemic, but this is astounding," said co-lead researcher Dr. Lindsay Fourman, an endocrinologist at Mass General Brigham in Boston.
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