Scale May Not Tell the Truth on Obesity

The obesity epidemic has public health experts wringing their hands. Now, a new study suggests the situation may be even more dire than they thought. A study of 1,393 New Yorkers compared a common measure of obesity called the body mass index or BMI to a measure of fatness. The body mass index is relatively easy to use because all it requires is measurement of height and weight. The other measure of body fatness required a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry or DXA.
The comparison found that up to 20 percent of men classified as healthy by their BMI were actually carrying too much fat and not enough muscle. In addition, some men with high BMIs actually had plenty of muscle and relatively little fat. The DXA is too expensive to be used for regular measurements of fatness, but some experts suggest that concentrating on exercise, fitness, and adequate sleep might be a better way to help people fight obesity than focusing on calories consumed.

[PLoS One, April 2, 2012]