Research presented at the European Congress on Obesity suggests that the current BMI threshold for obesity (30 kg/m2) may not be suitable for older adults, recommending a lower cut-off of 27 kg/m2. This adjustment could lead to more accurate health assessments and better management of obesity-related conditions among middle-aged and older populations. The globally accepted threshold for obesity based on the body-mass index (BMI) might not be suitable for middle-aged and older adults (ages 40-80 years), according to a study recently presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Venice, Italy.
Increased body-fat proportions in the over-40s suggest that a lower BMI (27 kg/m2) may be a more appropriate upper cut-off point, with values above this adjusted obesity threshold indicating an increased risk of adverse health outcomes. Obesity is a chronic disease defined by excessive fat deposits, and its identification based on the amount of body fat appears to be the most accurate method, but the WHO relies on a BMI of 30 kg/m2 as a universal indicator of obesity in white men and women of all ages. It is calculated by dividing an individual’s weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters.
However, given the changes that occur to body composition with aging—such as an increase in body fat (with the maximum amount seen between age 50 and 60 years) and a decrease in lean mass (muscle, which declines by almost 5% each decade after the age of 30)—the use of the.
