Using Body Fat Percentage to Understand Obesity in 2025

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic that has claimed the lives of millions due to the health problems it caused. For many years, body mass index or BMI has been used to determine a person’s risk for obesity, but in recent years, there have been several debates over its accuracy.

Body fat percentage, which looks at how much of a person’s weight comes from fat, is believed to be a better measure. By understanding body fat and how it’s distributed across the body, better measures for determining obesity can be developed, and more practical and immediate interventions can be taken. The ultimate goal is to create a healthy population that can live longer.

This report features key information about obesity and body fat statistics that can help healthcare organizations, public and private institutions, and individuals understand the rising concerns about the issue and help them develop better care strategies to address it.

Global Obesity Statistics

More than one billion people globally are obese.¹

650 million adults, 340 million adolescents, and 39 million children suffer from obesity, according to the World Health Organization.

By 2035, over 4 billion people may suffer from overweight and obesity. ²

This is an increase from 38% of the world’s population in 2020 to over 50% by 2035.

WHO (World Health Organization) estimates that over 4 million people die each year due to obesity or being overweight.³

In 2019, 5 million people died prematurely as a result of being obese, making obesity the leading cause of death worldwide.⁴

It’s speculated that as many as 3 million of the 5.5 million COVID-19 deaths could have been averted if obesity had been addressed.⁵

Countries where half the population is overweight saw four-fold higher COVID-19 death rates.

A recently published Israeli study discovered that 38.5% of women and 26.5% of men have excess fat content despite their normal weight. They were classified as “obese with normal weight.”⁶

The study proved that body fat percentage has a significant correlation with high levels of sugar, fat, and cholesterol which are major risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases.

Analysis of Global Obesity Statistics

In the US, population data from 2022 showed 22 states with obesity prevalence at or above 35%. In 2021, only 19 states had obesity prevalence above 35%. ⁷

On average, the country has a 41.9% obesity prevalence as measured by the NHANES from 2017-2020. ⁸

Obesity is more common in Black and Latino adults, with obesity rates at 49.9% and 45.6% respectively.⁷

People who live in rural communities were also more prone to have obesity than those in urban and suburban areas.
Nearly 20% of children ages 2 - 9 also suffer from obesity.

By 2035, the global economic impact of overweight and obesity is a staggering $4.32 trillion, up from $1.96 trillion in 2035.⁹

In the US, overweight and obesity has a 4% or very high impact on national GDP.
The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the US is $173 billion in 2019.¹¹ This is $1,861 higher for people with healthy weight.

Deaths due to obesity are higher in high-income and middle-income countries. ⁴

In 2019, high-income countries like the US attributed 8-10% of deaths due to obesity. The numbers are almost double for middle-income countries like Eastern Europe, whose deaths due to obesity increased to more than 15%.

Obesity is the leading cause of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer.

It is linked to 30-53% of new diabetes cases in the US annually. ¹¹
People suffering from obesity are 20% more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than those without.
People who shift to a healthy lifestyle reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 58%.

BMI vs Body Fat in Measuring Obesity

The global BMI average for men and women was 25, which is also the cut-off for being overweight.⁴
- The average BMI tends to be higher in predominantly Caucasian countries like the US at 29 and lower in Asian countries like Japan at 21.
In a recent study of US adults, 36% had obesity based on BMI standards, while 74% were considered obese based on body fat percentage.¹²
- Asian Americans and Hispanics who had normal BMI had a greater proportion of abdominal fat than non-Hispanic Whites and were more likely to have obesity.
Asians are more likely to develop diabetes at lower BMI levels than their white counterparts. For every 11 pounds Asian adult gain, their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes increases by 84%.¹³
- At the same BMI level, Asians have twice the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes than Caucasians.
African-American women have higher BMI thresholds than white women for developing cardiovascular risks associated with high BMI. ¹⁴
- The BMI threshold for obesity for African Americans was 33, higher than the 30 BMI average.

Which is a better obesity indicator: BMI or Body Fat?

Researchers who investigated a seemingly plateau in obesity prevalence among high-income nations concluded that BMI isn’t a sufficient measure of obesity. ¹⁵
- BMI wasn’t able to capture all the variations in health outcomes and given a better measure, like body fat percentage, the observed obesity trends could be different.

A population study of US adults ages 20-79 revealed that RFM-defined obesity prevalence was higher compared to BMI-defined obesity prevalence.¹⁶

For women, it was 22% higher, while for men, it was 3% higher.
For older individuals, higher body fat percentage also correlated with higher mortality risk.

A study on physically active males concluded that BMI overestimates overweight and obesity leading to misclassification of muscle mass as body fat. ¹⁷
- It suggested that BMI and FMI (fat mass index) cutoffs be increased for physically fit and active individuals.
- Fat also increases with age, which requires different cut-offs according to age group.
These studies confirm that body fat percentage is a greater indicator of obesity and the health risks associated with it.
- BMI is a useful tool to measure body composition, but it has limitations. Looking at body fat percentage completes the picture and provides a better health indicator.

The Need for a Global Action Plan to End Obesity

The World Health Organization created targets to halt the rise of obesity at 2010 levels. Unfortunately, the number of people with obesity is rising and has more than doubled since then. Obesity has significant health, societal, and economic impacts, and failure to curb the rise will see an aging, unhealthy population.

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COVID-19 has exposed the need to treat obesity as people with comorbidities face a greater risk of dying during the pandemic. Prevention is attainable with the right government policy, early detection and treatment, and proper education.

Help from the Government

Government institutions can enact policies and laws that support weight loss medications, obesity screening, and medical treatment. They can devise economic policies that reward healthy food sources and restrict unhealthy ones.

A look at obesity prevalence per US state emphasizes the need for targeted interventions. Obesity prevalence is dependent on race, age, and educational attainment. Adults without a high school diploma or equivalent had the highest obesity prevalence at 37%. Middle adults were more prone to suffer from obesity than young adults.

Refocusing on Body Fat Percentage

A stronger focus on body fat percentage can be adopted by healthcare practitioners to balance BMI indicators. Too often, people with healthy BMIs can already be showing early signs of obesity.

Early recognition of obesity can also lead insurance companies to cover weight loss medications and treatment before they get significantly more expensive.

The power of education

In various cultures, obesity can be seen as a stigma or a status symbol. Some cultures prevent individuals from seeking treatment because of the bullying and negative associations with obesity. In other cultures, obesity is seen as a desirable trait that signifies a higher social status.

Educating the population about the real impacts of obesity can shatter these myths and help more people seek treatment and pursue a healthier lifestyle. Physical activity promotion programmes, whether conducted face-to-face or in e-health blended environments, can also help encourage individuals to be more physically active.

The Stark Reality of Obesity

The World Obesity Foundation published an Obesity-Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Preparedness Index in their recent report. Only countries with high incomes are prepared to battle obesity. Middle to low-income countries either lack the resources or remain apathetic to the dangers of an increasingly obese population.

The fight to end obesity is a global challenge. Governments and private institutions worldwide must come together to develop a comprehensive Global Action Plan to end the misunderstanding, underinvestment, stigmatization, and fragmentation driving the failure to address obesity.

Conclusion

Obesity is a serious global problem that’s affecting billions regardless of race, gender, and age. It’s a preventable disease that, when properly addressed, can reduce the number of associated deaths. BMI has long been the standard measure for determining obesity, but studies have shown that body fat percentage plays a more significant role.

With a holistic approach combining BMI and body fat percentage, obesity can be detected earlier, leading to timely prevention. However, resolving the global obesity crisis goes beyond better measures and personal motivations. Government and private institutions must also work together to create a Global Action Plan to curb, once and for all, obesity.

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