Multiple reports say a new study finds the body mass index (BMI) measure can misclassify people’s weight status, potentially labelling many UK residents as overweight or obese when the risk from body fat may be different. The coverage highlights findings that the BMI framework can both overestimate and underestimate the relationship between excess body fat and health outcomes.
The outlets vary slightly in emphasis. The Independent focuses on the number of people it says are “wrongly labelled” or “wrongly classified,” while the Mirror frames the issue as “hidden obesity” and notes that official figures show most Britons are overweight or obese. Together, the stories present BMI as an imperfect tool and suggest that health assessments may need to account for limitations in how BMI reflects body fat and related health risk.
All accounts describe a research critique of BMI rather than a change in national obesity statistics or an alternative measurement being adopted.
