GoKawiilStudy finds waist-based CAD-obesity metric outperforms BMI in predicting death risk
A Nature-published analysis of more than 800,000 people found that body mass index alone misses many individuals whose excess body fat raises their health risks. Researchers tested a combined measure, CAD-obesity, which pairs BMI with waist circumference and other body-fat indicators, and found it better predicted mortality risk than BMI alone.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The findings add to long-standing criticism that BMI poorly reflects body composition, since it cannot distinguish muscle from fat or account for where fat is stored. Obesity researcher Cátia Martins suggests this reinforces that BMI is a weak tool for predicting cardiometabolic disease at the individual level, which could push clinicians toward adopting waist-based or combined metrics for diagnosis despite BMI's simplicity and widespread use.
- Study analyzed data from over 800,000 people and was published in Nature
- New CAD-obesity metric combines BMI with waist circumference to capture excess body fat
- Researchers say BMI alone misses many people with elevated health risks from body fat
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See Etekcity Smart Body Fat Scale on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: nature.com — Lenharo, 2026-11-11
Published there as: “Move over BMI: new obesity definition is better for predicting your health”
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