Overview

• Researchers applied the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology Commission framework that supplements BMI with waist and body-fat distribution measures, creating BMI-plus-anthropometric and anthropometric-only categories.
• In an analysis of 301,026 All of Us participants published in JAMA Network Open, obesity prevalence rose from 42.9% under BMI alone to 68.6% under the new criteria, reaching 78% among adults aged 70 and older.
• The increase was driven entirely by people with anthropometric-only obesity, who showed higher rates of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mortality than those without obesity.
• About half of individuals meeting the new criteria had clinical obesity, indicating obesity-related organ dysfunction or physical impairment.
• Dozens of professional groups have endorsed the framework, while experts urge further research and caution that media extrapolations to other countries carry uncertainty.