Navarra University Hospital studies BMI index

Studies by the Navarra University Hospital show that one in three people are obese.

One third of people whose BMI shows them to be ‘normal weight’ are in fact ‘obese’ and around 80 per cent are clinically obese, because the readings are not accurate.

The commonly used index is incorrect according to the Endocrinology and nutrition department, which means that many people within the correct threshold actually had high risks of diabetes, high levels of body fat and heart problems, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels,

Scientists at the hospital have devised a new way to calculate body fat percentages which is a bit more complicated than the current method  involving dividing body weight in kilos by the height in metres and centimetres squared.

The full article has been published in the medical journal Obesity: International journal of obesity and diabetes care.