A US study of around 2,000 adults has found that almost all people identified as having obesity based on body mass index (BMI) were confirmed as having excess body fat.
The use of BMI to diagnose obesity has become increasingly controversial.
Recently, a group of experts argued that obesity may be overdiagnosed because BMI does not distinguish between body fat, muscle and bone mass, and recommended that health professionals should look at other measures alongside BMI (PD 15 Jan).
The authors of the current study compared BMI and direct body fat measurement using DEXA, and found a strong correlation between BMI and excess body fat, with 98.4% of persons with BMI-diagnosed obesity having it confirmed.
Results were consistent across age, sex, and race and ethnicity.
While certain types of people, such as athletes, may warrant further evaluation, these people make up a very small portion of the population, the authors noted.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 22 Apr 25
To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 22 Apr 25
