DIET & NUTRITION 
PATIENT EDUCATION 
OBESITY/WEIGHT MANAGEMENT 
EXERCISE/TRAINING 
LEGAL MATTERS 
GUIDELINES/RECOMMENDATIONS ℹ️ Observational Association Only Evidence
BMI remains a common screening tool for obesity, but it does not directly measure body fat or adiposity-related health effects. Investigators analyzed US adults using anthropometric measures and found substantial rates of clinical obesity even among individuals classified as having normal BMI.
Clinical Considerations
- Analysis included 5,642 nonpregnant U.S. adults classified by BMI, adiposity, and obesity status.
- Overall adjusted prevalence of clinical obesity was 53.8%, exceeding preclinical obesity prevalence of 24.2%.
- Clinical obesity was identified in 26.1% of adults with normal BMI and 50.3% of overweight adults.
- Prevalence increased to 85.3% among those with class III obesity.
Practice Applications
- Recognize that normal BMI does not exclude clinically significant excess adiposity.
- Interpret BMI as one component of obesity assessment rather than a standalone measure.
- Consider anthropometric measurements when evaluating obesity-related health risk.
- Monitor emerging efforts to redefine obesity beyond BMI-based classifications.
