Millions more middle-aged are obese, study suggests
By Philippa Roxby
Millions of middle-aged people have been mistakenly led to believe they are not obese, according to an Italian study that looked at body-fat percentage instead of body-mass index.
It is a quick and easy method, supported by the World Health Organization, external (WHO), and pretty accurate in most people most of the time – but cannot differentiate between fat, muscle and bone.
The study is one of many which have suggested different cut-off points for BMI over the years.