Traditional BMI boundaries overestimate overweight and obesity in men

New research that will be presented at this year’s European Congress of Obesity (ECO 2025, Malaga, Spain, May 11-14) show that the cutting points of the body mass indicator (BMI) significantly overestimate overweight and obesity in men’s athletes. The study from Italy also offers new cut -off points for overweight and obesity in this group.

Body mass indicator (BMI) is a key method of measuring the status of a mass of people, determining whether they are normal, overweight or obesity. It can be easily calculated by dividing the weight of the unit into kilograms by a square of its height in meters. BMI 25 kg/m² or above is an indicator of overweight and BMI 30 kg/m² or above indicates obesity in white men and women of all ages, in accordance with the World Health Organization categorization system (WHO).

However, some studies have shown that this classification system may not be good in identifying overweight and obesity in athletes, and its use in this group has long been criticized.

BMI does not distinguish between body fat and a thin mass that covers muscles. As a result, a muscular athlete with low adipose tissue may be wrongly classified as living with overweight or obesity. Despite this, many sports organizations still rely on the traditional BMI classification system. “

Professor Marwan El Ghoch, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neuron Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy

In the new study, Professor El Ghoch and scientists from the University of Werona in Italy and the Beirut University in Lebanon decided to determine how exactly BMI boundaries of 25 and 30 kg/m² They identify overweight and obesity in male athletes, and if it turns out that they are inaccurate to determine better cuttings.

There were 622 men in the cross -sectional examination (average age 25.7, BMI ≥ 20 kg/m²), which was directed to the Department of Neuroscience, biomedicine and movement, the University of Verona, Italy, and participated in sport, including football, rugby, basketball, volleyball, intersection, karate and others at a competitive level.

Participants were categorized using the current BMI system and by percentage of fat fat (BF%).

Using the current BMI system, more than a quarter of people were classified as an overweight or obesity life. About 451 (72.5%) people had a normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.99 kg/m²), 148 (23.8%) people were overweight (25 kg/m²-29.9 kg/m²), and 23 (3.7%) had obesity (30 kg/m² and above).

The total percentage of adipose tissue (BF%) was measured using X-ray absorption scans (DXA)-which is known to be a very accurate tool for measuring body composition-an appropriate cut-out points for age and gender. BF% 21% or more has been classified as overweight, and BF% 26% or more were classified as obesity.

Using this system, less than 4% of people were classified as an overweight or obesity life. About 598 (96.1%) people were normal, 19 (3.1%) were overweight, and 5 (0.8%) had obesity.

Professor El Ghoch, who conducted the study, says: “This shows that the current BMI cut -off points are clearly defective in determining the status of body weight in athletes, because many athletes have been incorrectly classified as a life of overweight or obesity, where in reality very few had the level of fat in this area.”

Scientists used statistical modeling to identify more accurate BMI cut -off points for young athletes. New cut -offs that include lower%of BF athletes are 28.2 kg/m² for overweight and 33.7 kg/m² For obesity.

Research co -author, Professor Chiara Milanese from the University of Verona, explains: “Although DXA scans measure the composition of the body thoroughly, they are not always available in sports settings. However, useful BMI tools, which can be very useful, both useful in sports clubs, both during training and organization.

“Direct body composition assessment remains a golden standard, but in his absence we encourage sports organizations and committees to adopt a new BMI classification system.”

The authors add that several further tests are needed. They include the identification of new cut-offs for women-porters and potentially specific boundaries for various sports, especially those have not been included in the current study.