What is the BMI health figure... that makes innocent people look fat? 😱😱

 

165cm, 65kg men also considered 'obese'... Discrepancy between overweight and obesity standards and reality

 

There are many criticisms of measuring obesity using Body Mass Index (BMI). This is because, although the national physique has become more Westernized, BMI fails to reflect this change, leading to an overestimation of overweight and obese individuals.

 

"Obese?" Office worker K (45), who reduced his weight from 88 kg a year ago to 65 kg, was recently shocked while calculating his Body Mass Index (BMI), which determines obesity. Despite losing 23 kg, his BMI still classified him as obese. BMI is an index that measures obesity by dividing weight (kg) by height (m) squared (kg/m²). K, who is 165 cm tall, has a BMI of 25, which is considered obese. As a result, K has reset his final weight loss goal to 60 kg. "What do they say about BMI? If I keep going like this, I might harm myself. I can't really say anything about losing more weight because I'm overweight..." Despite his wife's concerns, K is still on a diet.

 

The BMI, long considered the 'gold standard' for obesity criteria, is being challenged. Due to Westernized eating habits and other factors, the body types of our people are rapidly Westernizing, but this is not reflected, leading to the proliferation of overweight and obese individuals who are not actually fat.

 

A representative case that recently caused social controversy is the BMI survey of Army officers. A research team from Keimyung University and Daegu University College of Nursing analyzed the BMIs of 1,026 Army officers, finding that 34.9% were obese and 25.9% were overweight. However, medical specialists point out that "judging whether soldiers are obese solely based on BMI is problematic." BMI is just one of many indicators used to measure obesity and is not an absolute measure. Experts state, "Currently, a BMI of 23 is classified as overweight, which is not practically appropriate," and "If the survey had been conducted based on global obesity standards, the results would likely have been different." Dr. Soon-jip Ryu, a professor of endocrinology at Bucheon St. Mary's Hospital and chairman of the Korean Society for Obesity, said, "The societal tendency to determine obesity solely by BMI is problematic," and emphasized the need to improve obesity-related indicators that rely entirely on BMI. Professor Su-kyung Park of Seoul National University College of Medicine's Department of Preventive Medicine said, "A high BMI increases the risk of metabolic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, as well as cancer, but since it is a relative indicator, blind trust in it is problematic." Dr. Jin-jin Jo of Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital's Department of Family Medicine stated, "BMI cannot fully reflect body fat or its distribution within the body," referring to it as an 'apparent obesity index' based on height and weight.

 

Unable to keep up with changes in body shape based on obesity standards

 

Specialists agree that there is a need to readjust the domestic obesity index, which is more stringent than the global obesity standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO). Our country has adopted the Asia-Pacific regional obesity standards rather than the global standards, which define obesity as a BMI of 25 or higher. According to the global standards, a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese. The criteria for overweight are also strict. While the global standard defines overweight as a BMI of 25 to 29.9, we use a range of 23 to 24.9.

 

Our adoption of the Asia-Pacific obesity standards was due to attention to the differences in body types between the East and the West. Unlike Westerners, Asians are more likely to develop metabolic diseases such as diabetes and cancer when their weight rapidly increases, so we followed the Asia-Pacific obesity index, which applies strict criteria. Additionally, since Asians consume less meat than Westerners, eating more meat makes them more vulnerable to excess fat, leading us to set the obesity standard at a BMI of 25. Professor Oh Sang-woo of the Department of Family Medicine at Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital said, "In 1998, the number of people with a BMI of 25 was rapidly increasing in Korea, which led to adopting the Asia-Pacific obesity standards," and added, "However, like the United States, our BMI 25 population is stagnating, and the number of obese individuals with a BMI over 30 is rapidly increasing, so we need multifaceted research to improve obesity indices."

 

What do we do when we are judged as overweight or obese based on BMI? Women focus on dieting, while men dedicate themselves to exercise. They neglect factors that have a decisive impact on obesity, such as abdominal fat, visceral fat, and cholesterol, and only concentrate on losing weight. This is a 'BMI paradox.' Professor Park said, "Even this is a mistaken common belief," and added, "Women with a lot of subcutaneous fat should exercise, and men with a lot of visceral fat should control their diet, but we are going in the opposite direction."

 

Reducing obesity treatment costs by adjusting for BMI

 

BMI, which fails to accurately reflect reality, has been transformed from a standard for obesity to merely a criterion for weight loss. There are also criticisms that raising the BMI threshold could stagnate the market for obesity treatments such as liposuction. Professor Cho stated, "If BMI is adjusted upward to an international standard, the negative image or stress associated with body shape in the BMI 25-27 group, which has low mortality and disease risk, will be alleviated," and "This could also reduce public obsession with weight and the costs of obesity treatment." He added, "Recent studies show that for patients with coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke, hypertension, and diabetes, BMI 25-27 is associated with lower mortality, and in fact, underweight groups have higher mortality rates," and "Just as the Japan Society of Health Examination suggested in 2014 that a BMI of 27.7 for men and 26.1 for women be classified as obese, it is advisable to adjust the obesity index." Professor Park said, "Not only severe obesity with a BMI of 30 or higher but also underweight with a BMI below 18.5 are problematic," and emphasized, "We need to correct the misconception that being thin equals being healthy."

 

There is also an opinion that the pathophysiological mechanisms of obesity have changed, and new criteria for obesity should be established. Professor Oh said, "People in their teens to thirties, unlike those over forty, tend to eat a lot of greasy foods from a young age, which increases and stores fat cells, making it difficult to diagnose as overweight or obese under current criteria." He added, "While I agree with changing the obesity criteria, I do not agree that it should be changed solely based on statistical approaches such as mortality rates," and emphasized, "An objective and systematic research approach is necessary." Professor Yoo stated, "Even if the BMI is 24, having more fat than muscle can pose health problems," and stressed, "Instead of trying to lose weight unconditionally, factors related to obesity such as nutrition, muscle mass, waist circumference, and triglycerides should be checked to maintain a healthy life."

 

Kim Chi-jung Medical Correspondent

 

 

 

🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈

Surprised by the Inbody measurement results 😱😱

Lose an additional 5.5 kg 😱😱

There was a reason why the BMI measurement standards are strict.

It seems necessary to change to be more realistic, but I will only use it as a reference.

You shouldn't force yourself to lose weight excessively to fit into that mold.

I can see it~~^^ Reading the article made me feel a little better🤭🤭