One third of normal-weight individuals are obese, according to study

Medical Xpress / Tel-Aviv University / Frontiers in Nutrition ^ | July 13, 2028 | Yair Lahav et al

[ConservativeMind]

Researchers examined the anthropometric data of about 3,000 Israeli women and men and concluded that body fat percentage is a much more reliable indicator of an individual's overall health and cardiometabolic risk than the BMI index, widely used in clinics today. The researchers suggest that body fat percentage should become the gold standard in this respect and recommend equipping clinics all over Israel with suitable devices.

Prof. Gepner states, "The prevailing index in this respect is BMI, based on weight and height measures, which is considered a standard indicator of an individual's general health. However, despite the obvious intuitive connection between excess weight and obesity, the actual measure for obesity is the body's fat content, with the maximum normal values set at 25% for males and 35% for females.

The researchers analyzed the anthropometric data of 3,000 Israeli women and men, accumulated over several years: BMI scores; DXA scans (using X-rays to measure body composition, including fat content); and cardiometabolic blood markers. About one third of the participants—1,000 individuals—were found to be within the normal weight range. Of these, 38.5% of the women and 26.5% of the men were identified as "obese with normal weight"—having excess fat content despite their normal weight.

Matching body fat percentage with blood markers for each of these individuals, the study found a significant correlation between "obesity with normal weight" and high levels of sugar, fat, and cholesterol—major risk factors for a range of cardiometabolic diseases. At the same time, 30% of the men and 10% of the women identified as overweight were found to have a normal body fat percentage.

Prof. Gepner says, "Our findings were somewhat alarming, indicating that obesity with normal weight is much more common in Israel than we had assumed. Moreover, these individuals usually pass 'under the radar.'"

[allwrong57]

Our insurance company (at work) does it once a year. they take the reading off your left arm for some reason. It’s a handheld thing that is about the same size as the one nurses use to take temps with. I still lift a lot and do a daily workout. I’m 13% at age 66 and 5’9 169 I’m on the border of overweight by BMI.