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BMI, fat mass, abdominal adiposity and visceral fat: where is the ‘beef’?

International Journal of Obesity volume 31, pages 1552–1553 (2007)Cite this article

Defining obesity and how to measure it is of paramount importance if we are to develop well-defined and evidence-based prevention and treatment programs. Unfortunately, there is a great deal of confusion at the moment regarding the nature of what is the essence of obesity and what should be measured. While most of the progress realized to date on the understanding of the negative influence of excessive body fatness on health has been achieved through studies based on the body mass index (BMI), it is often claimed that the latter is not an adequate metric for obesity. The view that excess body mass, as assessed by BMI, is inadequate and that excess fat mass (FM) would be a better indicator of obesity is commonly held. Others favor abdominal obesity as evaluated by waist girth (WAIST) as an even better obesity metric. Finally, some promote the notion that abdominal visceral fat (AVF) is all that matters in obesity. All of this is very confusing. Everyone has been tempted to ask at one time or another: where is the ‘beef’?

The controversy is not likely to go away any time soon and the issue will undoubtedly remain a matter of debate for years to come. Here I argue that BMI is perfectly adequate for clinical practice and population research based on scientific and practical considerations. However, one should incorporate all the obesity indicators in experimental and clinical research protocols. The justification for this recommendation is briefly defined here.

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  1. Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

    C Bouchard

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Bouchard, C. BMI, fat mass, abdominal adiposity and visceral fat: where is the ‘beef’?. Int J Obes 31, 1552–1553 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803653

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