close Video

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

For decades, BMI (body mass index) has been the go-to number doctors use to decide whether someone is underweight, "normal," overweight or obese .

But new global research suggests that it's possible to have a normal BMI, look thin in clothes and still meet the medical definition of obesity.

A large study published in JAMA Network Open — based on World Health Organization (WHO) survey data from more than 471,000 adults across 91 countries — examined health data from more than 471,000 adults across 91 countries.

RESEARCHERS SAY BEING 'FAT BUT FIT' COULD BE LESS DEADLY THAN BEING UNDERWEIGHT

The researchers looked at people whose BMI fell in the normal range (18.5–24.9) but who carried extra fat around their midsection, m

See Full Page