New clinical obesity definition shows lower rates in children

A new global definition of clinical obesity, proposed by a Lancet committee, shifts the focus from Body Mass Index (BMI) to whether excess body fat is accompanied by health symptoms or limitations in daily activities. A study led by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) evaluated this definition using data from 786,557 participants across Australia, Canada, Estonia, Finland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The research, published in eClinicalMedicine, found that clinical obesity is significantly less common in children and adolescents than obesity defined by BMI. Specifically, clinical obesity affected only 2.1% to 4.9% of children and teens, compared to 7% to 10.8% under BMI criteria.

However, the prevalence of clinical obesity increases with age. It surpasses BMI-based obesity rates starting at age 55-64, reaching its highest prevalence of 52% among individuals aged 65 to 74. The study also noted that clinical obesity is more frequent in men during early and middle adulthood, while women show higher rates in older age groups.