Global obesity estimates ‘MISS OUT more than half a billion fat people’, experts warn

July 6, 2016

Obesity levels are measured using Body Mass Index, a height-weight ratio
There are 600 million obese adults in the world, according to WHO in 2014
But a new study warns this figure does not account for body type nuances
They suggest different populations should have their own BMI cutoff point

Mia De Graaf For Dailymail.com

Published:
12:22 EST, 6 July 2016

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Updated:
13:05 EST, 6 July 2016

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Global obesity figures miss out more than half a billion fat people, a new study claims.

Official estimates say there are 600 million obese adults in the world – more than double the amount in 1980.

But a new study warns this number is based on a misunderstanding of how body types differ from country to country.

And a paper published by Obesity Reviews warns that by ignoring the nuances, researchers underestimate adult obesity levels by over 400-500 million.

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Misunderstood? A new study warns the official figure of obesity in the world is based on a misunderstanding of how body types differ from country to country. The paper suggests nations should have different BMI scales

Body Mass Index (BMI) – a simple ratio of weight to height – is the standard front-line tool for assessing body fat and to identify people who are at greater risk of fat-linked diseases, like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Anyone with a BMI over 30.0 is deemed obese. Over 39.9 is registered extreme obesity.

However, since BMI relies only on height and weight, it can mistake people who are naturally stocky and muscular as overweight, warn professor Daniel Hruschka of Arizona State University and professor Craig Hadley of Emory University.

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On the flip side, naturally slender individuals may be able to pack on a great deal of body fat before standard BMI cutoffs identify these slender individuals as overweight or obese.

Such lop-sided analysis, Hruschka and Hadley warn, could also have a damning impact of understanding areas of child undernutrition.

In their study, Hruschka and Hadley compile evidence from a number of studies showing how variations in human form are widespread and can be quite dramatic.

For example, body builds in East Asia are typically more slender, warranting a different BMI cut-off point for obesity.

Organizations in some countries, including Japan and China, are exploring new methods of documenting and reporting obesity levels.

Physicians would be better equipped to advise patients on their future needs if they took different body types into account, the study suggests

BODY MASS INDEX (BMI)

18.5–24.9 Normal weight

25.0–29.9 Overweight

30.0–39.9 Obese

40.0 + Extreme obesity

Source: World Health Organization

However, there is no global consensus on how to deal with these differences – or even a global conversation on changing the cutoff points.

Hruschka and Hadley are developing more accurate tools by taking a closer look at the different ways that people’s bodies are built in different places around the world.

Their proposed solution to these biases relies on the idea of ‘basal slenderness’.

Each country would determine the expected BMI of their population before people begin to add excess fat due to urbanization, high-calorie foods, and other factors.

They hope this new approach would mean health researchers could better focus their efforts and resources on the regions most in need.

Furthermore, physicians would be better equipped to advise patients on their future needs.

And studies could divise more effective measures to prevent obesity and undernutrition down the line.