Khaberni - A comprehensive international study has revealed that over 20% of adults who have a normal weight according to the Body Mass Index (BMI) actually suffer from abdominal obesity.
This type of obesity increases their risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and triglycerides, a phenomenon known as "hidden obesity".
Cardiac and metabolic disorders are among the leading causes of death and disability worldwide, with cardiovascular disease cases rising from 271 million to 523 million over the past three decades, and disability years associated with them almost doubling.
The study explains that visceral belly fat causes disruptions in vital processes inside the body through inflammatory pathways leading to insulin resistance, lipid disorders, high blood pressure, and glucose regulation imbalance. The number of adults with diabetes reached approximately 828 million in 2022.
Despite the common reliance on the Body Mass Index to estimate obesity, it often fails to reveal the distribution of fat within the body. A person of normal weight and high waist circumference can have higher health risks than those who are overweight.
The study, published in the journal "JAMA Network Open" under the title: "Cardiac and Metabolic Outcomes in Adults with Abdominal Obesity and Normal Body Mass Index", relied on data from health surveys conducted by the World Health Organization in 91 countries between 2000 and 2020. The sample included 471,228 participants aged between 15 and 69 years from various regions around the world.
Researchers defined abdominal obesity based on waist circumference measurements (94 cm or more for men, and 80 cm or more for women). As for "hidden obesity," it is the conjunction of a normal Body Mass Index with a high waist circumference.
The results showed an association between abdominal obesity and a less healthy lifestyle, with increased likelihood of low vegetable and fruit consumption, and reduced physical activity. Clinically, the chances of high blood pressure increased by 29%, diabetes by 81%, total cholesterol by 39%, and triglycerides by 56%.
A controversial trend was observed, where higher education levels were linked to an increased likelihood of abdominal obesity in most regions, except in Africa where the risk decreased with higher education.
The study revealed that 21.7% of individuals globally with a normal weight actually suffer from abdominal obesity, with rates varying from 15.3% in the Western Pacific to 32.6% in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Lebanon recorded the highest rate at 58.4%, while Mozambique had the lowest at 6.9%.
The researchers warned that relying solely on the Body Mass Index is not sufficient to identify at-risk groups, emphasizing the importance of waist circumference measurement in routine examinations for early detection of cardiac and metabolic diseases.
