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Life Cycle
Life Cycle

Life Cycle 3

eISSN: 2799-8894

DOI: https://doi.org/10.54724/lc.2023.e6

Editorial

Obesity: lessons learned and the way forward

Sang Youl Rhee1,*https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0119-5818
1Department of Medicine, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
*Correspondence: Sang Youl Rhee, E-mail: rheesy@khu.ac.kr

© Copyright 2023 Life Cycle. This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Received: Mar 12, 2023; Revised: Mar 29, 2023; Accepted: Apr 03, 2023

Published Online: Apr 09, 2023

1. Introduction

Obesity is a major public health concern worldwide, and its prevalence has been increasing in recent decades.[1] The existing criteria for defining obesity based on body mass index (BMI) may not reflect the variables related to obesity and the recent trends in public health.[2] In this editorial, we discuss the importance of redefining the criteria for obesity and analyzing the BMI and waist circumference (WC) distributions based on age, sex, and ethnicity.

2. Redefining the criteria for obesity

The current criteria for defining obesity based on BMI may not be appropriate for all populations.[2] For instance, the BMI cutoff values for obesity are 25 kg/m2 in Korea and 30 kg/m2 in the US, which may not reflect the differences in body composition and disease risk between these populations. Moreover, BMI does not distinguish between fat and muscle mass, which can lead to misclassification of obesity in people with high muscle mass, such as athletes.[3]

To overcome these limitations, the criteria for defining obesity should be redefined based on the latest scientific evidence and the specific characteristics of each population. For instance, waist circumference, which reflects abdominal fat accumulation, may be a better indicator of obesity-related disease risk than BMI in some populations.[4] Moreover, new measures of body composition, such as body fat percentage, may provide a more accurate assessment of obesity and its health consequences.

3. BMI and WC distributions by age, sex, and ethnicity

This shows the mortality rate changes from 1990 to 2019 due to a high BMI index using Global Burden of Disease 2019 study (Fig. 1). Analyzing the BMI and WC distributions by age, sex, and ethnicity can provide valuable insights into the prevalence and risk factors of obesity-related diseases. For instance, our previous analysis showed that the association between obesity and metabolic syndrome differed according to ethnicity, with non-Hispanic Asians showing a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia compared to other racial groups. [2]

lc-3-0-6-g1
Fig. 1. Mortality rate changes from 1990 to 2019 due to a high BMI index using Global Burden of Disease 2019 study.
Download Original Figure

Moreover, our analysis showed that the distribution of BMI and WC differed by race, sex, and age, which may be influenced by cultural, molecular, and environmental factors. Non-Hispanic Asians generally had a larger body build than Koreans but have lower weight-related measures than other racial groups. Non-Hispanic Black people showed a significant change in the early part of their lifespan, with large BMI slopes between 20 and 34 kg/m2 for men and between 20 and 44 kg/m2 for women. Also we provide further analysis results (Table 1).

Table 1. WC distribution by age and ethnicity based on the NHANES and KNHANES data
Ethnicity Sex Age (years) N Mean SD Percentile
Min 1th 5th 10th 25th 50th 75th 90th 95th 99th Max
Mexican American Male 20 - 24 79 97.84 16.60 72.6 72.6 76.1 77.0 83.1 96.7 110.3 120.7 131.1 136.9 136.9
25 - 29 97 101.81 15.82 76.2 76.2 78.1 81.7 90.8 99.3 111.5 120.7 131.4 154.5 154.5
30 - 34 71 101.65 14.42 73.2 73.2 78.5 86.4 92.5 100.5 109.1 120.5 132.4 139.6 139.6
35 - 39 88 103.13 14.12 71.8 71.8 83.8 86.7 94.6 101.7 110.0 119.3 129.8 161.3 161.3
40 - 44 65 103.78 16.54 76.1 76.1 78.6 86.2 92.5 104.3 111.5 117.7 124.9 170.8 170.8
45 - 49 67 102.96 12.33 74.6 74.6 83.5 89.0 94.1 101.8 109.2 121.4 127.3 134.9 134.9
50 - 54 76 105.88 14.20 83.1 83.1 85.8 90.1 96.7 101.7 113.1 124.0 137.5 150.1 150.1
55 - 59 59 106.01 13.85 79.6 79.6 85.8 89.8 95.0 103.7 114.4 129.7 131.4 136.3 136.3
60 - 64 116 105.47 12.49 76.2 81.4 86.9 90.0 96.7 104.4 115.7 121.8 125.1 137.1 147.8
65 - 69 59 107.19 11.16 83.0 83.0 86.2 93.1 100.2 106.7 113.7 123.2 126.5 136.1 136.1
70 - 74 46 104.91 13.06 84.0 84.0 87.0 88.0 97.7 104.6 114.0 119.5 129.0 140.3 140.3
Over 75 44 103.80 10.04 84.4 84.4 85.7 90.4 98.2 103.1 108.6 118.5 120.2 129.1 129.1
Female 20 - 24 86 94.70 17.82 64.7 64.7 70.0 73.9 82.2 92.1 104.1 118.4 134.9 143.0 143.0
25 - 29 87 96.75 16.69 64.9 64.9 72.2 77.3 85.5 95.0 106.8 119.6 128.1 144.1 144.1
30 - 34 76 99.44 16.16 66.6 66.6 78.4 82.7 88.5 96.8 106.9 122.2 132.5 146.7 146.7
35 - 39 97 102.95 17.15 69.1 69.1 82.0 84.0 92.5 99.4 109.1 123.9 133.7 178.0 178.0
40 - 44 107 99.33 14.56 72.4 74.0 79.7 81.8 89.8 99.0 104.0 115.9 129.0 143.5 149.2
45 - 49 83 102.12 14.25 71.1 71.1 82.7 86.4 92.5 99.6 110.1 120.8 128.5 142.9 142.9
50 - 54 85 101.50 14.96 74.6 74.6 81.4 86.7 91.4 99.7 107.6 122.4 129.1 145.2 145.2
55 - 59 86 103.09 15.46 72.1 72.1 81.0 85.0 90.5 101.8 114.0 126.2 127.5 143.3 143.3
60 - 64 102 104.33 14.72 79.4 79.7 83.0 88.0 95.4 102.8 113.2 121.1 126.8 152.5 164.0
65 - 69 66 105.57 12.01 85.1 85.1 92.5 92.6 97.7 103.0 111.7 124.9 130.3 147.4 147.4
70 - 74 41 106.07 12.77 86.3 86.3 87.4 92.3 95.4 105.6 112.5 124.7 130.3 137.2 137.2
Over 75 44 101.38 13.70 64.7 64.7 78.4 88.2 92.9 100.8 109.6 119.7 122.8 137.2 137.2
Other Hispanic Male 20 - 24 63 94.53 17.38 69.5 69.5 70.5 73.5 80.7 93.1 100.8 117.1 127.0 145.5 145.5
25 - 29 43 96.23 14.16 66.4 66.4 77.2 80.8 87.5 94.2 102.7 117.5 120.0 137.0 137.0
30 - 34 61 101.38 15.39 73.4 73.4 80.1 84.3 89.5 101.0 111.5 120.7 123.9 153.1 153.1
35 - 39 60 98.40 13.35 69.6 69.6 84.6 85.4 89.3 96.1 103.2 115.5 122.4 147.5 147.5
40 - 44 58 105.55 14.35 87.7 87.7 88.8 90.6 93.6 101.5 115.0 123.9 134.1 156.4 156.4
45 - 49 41 101.75 15.25 70.1 70.1 86.4 88.8 92.2 99.3 107.2 118.4 132.3 153.6 153.6
50 - 54 69 105.38 13.12 74.4 74.4 87.4 91.1 98.2 103.7 112.4 120.2 127.7 149.0 149.0
55 - 59 53 106.44 14.90 75.4 75.4 89.1 94.4 97.3 102.1 117.2 128.5 132.6 153.5 153.5
60 - 64 102 106.94 14.70 73.2 76.6 87.5 91.0 97.9 105.4 114.0 125.5 135.0 149.4 153.5
65 - 69 72 105.88 11.85 83.3 83.3 90.0 91.5 97.3 103.7 115.9 122.4 123.9 142.2 142.2
70 - 74 43 105.91 14.62 73.0 73.0 85.9 92.9 96.6 104.6 110.2 121.1 138.7 148.7 148.7
Over 75 27 103.40 11.89 79.0 79.0 83.7 86.5 94.8 102.1 113.5 119.3 119.8 125.9 125.9
Female 20 - 24 70 91.64 17.94 64.2 64.2 69.4 71.1 78.1 86.9 103.7 115.8 127.4 150.6 150.6
25 - 29 58 94.47 16.18 69.2 69.2 71.4 74.4 81.2 91.2 107.5 115.4 127.0 141.0 141.0
30 - 34 64 95.90 16.31 66.4 66.4 73.3 75.4 83.3 94.2 107.7 116.0 125.0 133.7 133.7
35 - 39 68 94.44 16.30 65.5 65.5 69.7 75.9 85.6 91.5 103.0 116.5 132.6 151.3 151.3
40 - 44 64 95.28 13.88 69.8 69.8 73.3 75.0 84.1 96.3 104.4 110.7 113.8 136.5 136.5
45 - 49 48 101.46 13.02 72.4 72.4 81.0 86.2 90.2 102.3 110.2 116.2 123.4 132.4 132.4
50 - 54 91 97.88 16.13 69.1 69.1 76.4 80.2 85.7 95.0 108.7 115.8 123.0 149.3 149.3
55 - 59 73 101.70 12.36 73.8 73.8 81.5 84.6 93.1 103.3 108.9 117.7 122.6 128.0 128.0
60 - 64 103 100.96 14.12 68.2 69.0 79.6 83.5 92.4 100.1 108.0 118.9 130.9 135.5 136.4
65 - 69 80 101.89 14.68 71.1 71.1 79.4 83.2 93.1 101.2 110.0 120.0 123.0 151.0 151.0
70 - 74 55 101.02 12.83 75.8 75.8 82.8 87.5 91.7 98.4 109.7 118.9 124.0 144.2 144.2
Over 75 46 97.88 9.05 79.0 79.0 85.0 86.4 89.7 98.0 105.8 109.6 113.3 114.8 114.8
Non-Hispanic White Male 20 - 24 138 97.12 19.68 64.0 68.5 72.4 74.8 81.3 93.0 108.3 123.5 132.5 152.8 160.5
25 - 29 145 96.76 17.42 67.3 67.5 75.4 77.5 83.0 92.9 109.0 122.2 129.5 144.7 146.2
30 - 34 174 103.52 18.34 72.7 73.1 79.7 83.5 89.3 101.2 113.5 129.6 137.0 155.4 159.6
35 - 39 153 103.92 17.56 75.0 77.6 79.6 85.0 91.5 101.0 113.0 128.7 136.5 154.5 167.1
40 - 44 149 105.46 15.64 68.2 75.0 83.2 87.8 94.5 103.6 115.8 127.8 135.5 148.8 153.2
45 - 49 172 106.00 16.23 74.0 77.0 81.5 86.9 96.2 104.2 112.8 126.0 137.2 159.8 162.7
50 - 54 145 106.53 16.24 75.2 77.9 81.8 88.8 95.4 104.1 116.8 128.4 136.4 154.1 156.5
55 - 59 200 106.73 15.83 69.5 75.7 84.4 88.8 96.2 103.5 116.3 130.9 139.3 146.2 149.5
60 - 64 190 109.28 16.86 70.2 77.4 85.8 91.4 97.1 106.8 117.7 132.9 146.5 153.2 159.6
65 - 69 152 108.98 14.90 74.4 74.5 88.8 91.9 97.8 107.4 118.5 130.0 136.4 143.8 155.0
70 - 74 220 107.76 13.94 69.8 79.4 83.5 88.6 98.9 108.0 116.3 124.3 132.4 139.7 156.1
Over 75 418 106.43 12.56 76.9 80.2 86.3 90.8 97.7 105.5 115.0 123.6 129.2 136.5 155.7
Female 20 - 24 157 89.88 18.28 63.7 65.0 67.6 70.2 73.8 86.5 101.3 118.5 125.7 143.2 145.9
25 - 29 175 95.66 19.38 64.6 65.3 71.0 75.0 80.0 91.2 108.9 123.1 127.5 161.0 169.5
30 - 34 163 96.56 18.62 67.1 69.7 73.5 75.3 82.4 92.3 108.2 121.4 130.4 153.3 154.9
35 - 39 169 100.42 19.34 66.5 70.0 75.1 78.0 84.8 96.6 113.2 128.0 135.8 162.3 166.0
40 - 44 140 101.35 18.62 65.0 66.5 74.6 78.9 88.2 98.6 114.6 127.4 134.9 148.6 159.5
45 - 49 173 101.43 18.20 68.7 68.8 76.5 80.2 86.6 100.5 113.4 125.7 133.7 149.2 169.6
50 - 54 151 103.43 18.20 68.7 70.5 74.5 80.5 89.4 102.2 114.6 126.7 137.2 152.9 159.2
55 - 59 201 101.13 17.16 66.5 71.7 77.4 82.5 89.9 98.4 110.5 123.8 129.2 147.6 187.5
60 - 64 170 103.95 17.88 69.0 70.0 76.4 80.7 90.4 102.6 116.2 129.3 132.9 148.4 149.9
65 - 69 179 104.04 16.89 69.3 71.5 79.8 84.2 90.3 102.6 116.2 126.5 132.8 153.6 163.6
70 - 74 159 102.99 13.89 67.4 73.8 82.2 86.4 93.3 101.4 111.5 120.5 128.4 137.1 143.1
Over 75 380 99.19 13.49 71.6 73.5 77.8 81.8 90.2 98.6 107.8 116.1 119.9 135.4 148.1
Non-Hispanic Black Male 20 - 24 122 85.34 16.36 62.3 63.2 68.5 70.3 74.6 80.3 90.9 107.2 113.4 148.6 153.2
25 - 29 119 92.50 17.66 68.7 69.3 72.0 74.5 79.5 87.4 103.2 120.9 127.8 137.4 155.4
30 - 34 105 99.78 20.71 67.2 67.2 71.3 77.9 83.4 95.6 110.4 131.4 139.5 161.5 161.6
35 - 39 94 99.08 19.06 69.5 69.5 72.6 75.7 85.6 96.8 108.0 124.6 136.6 153.5 153.5
40 - 44 131 104.52 15.63 69.0 74.8 77.1 84.1 93.8 104.1 114.7 124.2 134.4 143.1 144.6
45 - 49 130 105.22 18.58 71.1 74.9 77.4 82.5 90.5 102.8 118.0 130.8 141.0 145.4 147.7
50 - 54 132 103.68 16.92 69.5 70.1 73.0 80.3 94.3 103.2 114.3 124.5 136.3 145.4 154.4
55 - 59 120 104.04 16.21 70.2 72.0 77.0 86.0 92.6 102.0 115.3 125.7 136.3 145.8 148.4
60 - 64 229 102.21 16.50 65.9 69.6 77.5 82.0 91.4 101.6 111.7 121.9 132.5 147.4 169.6
65 - 69 158 105.70 16.86 72.2 74.6 78.8 82.2 95.3 103.8 114.6 127.5 133.1 157.4 158.5
70 - 74 76 103.79 16.31 72.3 72.3 78.0 85.0 92.6 103.1 112.5 125.2 132.3 155.7 155.7
Over 75 103 99.64 13.89 67.6 71.6 78.5 82.6 88.8 99.2 110.3 118.1 121.5 125.7 137.0
Female 20 - 24 124 91.51 18.80 58.7 62.1 67.5 69.1 75.7 89.5 104.3 116.2 121.8 133.2 171.6
25 - 29 162 97.21 19.74 64.0 65.0 69.5 72.5 80.5 95.6 113.0 123.0 132.5 143.5 147.8
30 - 34 156 101.44 19.94 63.2 64.5 72.0 76.5 86.8 97.7 115.0 129.6 137.5 152.0 152.7
35 - 39 127 104.60 19.42 69.6 70.0 76.1 79.2 91.9 103.0 116.5 129.3 137.0 165.0 173.1
40 - 44 155 108.10 19.34 73.3 73.8 79.0 84.3 92.4 106.4 120.8 135.0 141.0 160.0 164.9
45 - 49 147 107.32 18.84 75.2 77.2 79.8 83.0 92.0 105.8 120.0 136.4 140.0 157.3 163.7
50 - 54 139 109.55 19.61 64.9 72.2 80.8 85.8 97.0 107.2 121.7 142.1 149.0 156.3 158.1
55 - 59 164 106.54 18.27 57.9 68.0 78.3 84.5 94.0 106.4 118.7 131.2 138.0 151.0 157.4
60 - 64 201 104.28 15.70 66.2 72.0 79.2 84.0 93.0 103.0 113.9 124.2 130.5 141.8 151.2
65 - 69 133 105.87 15.48 68.7 71.9 77.0 83.5 97.2 105.0 116.8 125.4 128.8 142.4 143.5
70 - 74 68 104.13 13.72 75.9 75.9 86.2 89.0 94.5 103.7 111.5 121.6 128.0 143.6 143.6
Over 75 109 101.73 15.16 71.6 73.8 76.9 81.4 93.2 100.7 111.4 121.3 129.9 139.9 142.0
Non-Hispanic Asian Male 20 - 24 57 87.77 12.02 70.7 70.7 71.5 73.1 80.7 85.0 95.4 101.4 118.8 126.6 126.6
25 - 29 82 88.31 11.27 65.3 65.3 70.3 72.8 81.2 87.3 95.3 100.4 106.9 121.1 121.1
30 - 34 76 95.84 14.29 70.5 70.5 76.7 79.8 88.0 94.9 102.2 108.4 126.5 152.2 152.2
35 - 39 54 95.46 10.52 76.5 76.5 81.2 84.5 88.4 93.6 100.0 110.1 115.8 129.1 129.1
40 - 44 77 93.49 10.25 73.6 73.6 76.5 80.9 86.1 93.3 100.0 109.1 112.5 117.5 117.5
45 - 49 79 93.45 10.91 68.2 68.2 75.4 81.0 86.2 92.5 102.0 107.1 116.1 120.4 120.4
50 - 54 82 93.97 10.21 71.3 71.3 80.0 81.7 87.6 94.7 99.0 104.9 110.4 132.8 132.8
55 - 59 70 94.41 12.92 76.4 76.4 79.7 82.2 86.4 91.4 99.0 106.6 123.7 148.0 148.0
60 - 64 69 94.03 10.84 66.0 66.0 76.4 78.7 87.5 94.4 99.7 108.8 111.0 130.1 130.1
65 - 69 39 94.13 7.67 77.3 77.3 84.6 85.0 87.7 93.9 99.3 107.2 108.5 108.6 108.6
70 - 74 27 92.32 9.14 69.2 69.2 81.9 83.6 88.2 90.7 97.9 102.2 113.0 116.2 116.2
Over 75 41 94.10 10.02 73.3 73.3 79.5 82.1 87.3 94.0 100.4 103.4 108.5 119.5 119.5
Female 20 - 24 48 80.58 11.58 65.6 65.6 66.5 67.3 72.5 77.2 86.3 99.0 105.2 111.6 111.6
25 - 29 82 85.57 13.41 64.5 64.5 70.5 71.8 74.3 82.9 93.3 108.4 113.5 120.0 120.0
30 - 34 87 83.27 10.68 66.3 66.3 68.4 69.8 74.1 81.0 93.5 97.9 101.0 106.5 106.5
35 - 39 69 83.80 10.05 63.4 63.4 69.2 72.5 75.2 83.5 90.1 98.9 102.4 105.8 105.8
40 - 44 78 84.71 11.67 62.7 62.7 71.4 72.7 77.1 83.3 88.6 98.1 106.7 140.4 140.4
45 - 49 84 88.07 11.60 70.8 70.8 74.5 75.9 78.4 85.2 95.8 103.2 111.5 118.1 118.1
50 - 54 93 88.24 8.77 73.6 73.6 74.8 77.9 81.7 86.8 93.5 101.2 103.7 112.0 112.0
55 - 59 67 88.01 10.88 65.0 65.0 71.4 73.4 77.8 89.0 97.5 101.9 103.2 111.5 111.5
60 - 64 73 89.13 12.67 67.0 67.0 70.6 75.0 80.9 87.0 96.4 109.3 116.2 123.1 123.1
65 - 69 52 91.00 10.73 74.8 74.8 76.2 79.0 83.6 89.7 95.7 105.0 113.3 128.0 128.0
70 - 74 40 91.38 10.65 74.1 74.1 75.9 80.9 82.6 90.2 98.7 106.6 114.1 116.3 116.3
Over 75 43 88.10 9.63 64.0 64.0 75.7 77.5 79.8 87.9 95.3 100.6 101.3 111.2 111.2
Korean Male 20 - 24 815 82.29 11.25 57.60 63.7 68.0 70.2 74.9 80.3 87.7 97.6 103.2 118.3 147.5
25 - 29 841 86.38 10.89 61.70 67.2 71.5 73.8 79.0 84.8 92.2 101.1 105.8 117.7 135.9
30 - 34 860 87.74 10.02 62.00 68.2 73.0 75.9 80.9 86.6 93.7 100.8 104.8 116.1 124.9
35 - 39 1,188 87.75 9.36 60.00 68.6 72.8 75.9 81.4 87.4 93.7 99.3 102.7 114.3 132.8
40 - 44 1,177 87.69 9.37 61.40 67.3 72.4 75.5 81.5 87.6 93.2 99.7 103.3 112.7 128.3
45 - 49 1,219 87.63 8.63 58.10 67.8 73.5 77.2 82.0 87.6 92.8 98.4 101.9 110.3 126.4
50 - 54 1,152 87.75 8.39 62.40 68.7 74.4 77.6 82.2 87.3 93.0 98.4 101.7 109.6 123.7
55 - 59 1,322 87.41 8.20 62.50 68.4 74.3 77.5 82.2 87.1 92.2 97.7 101.1 108.8 129.8
60 - 64 1,288 88.00 8.27 60.50 68.1 74.2 77.7 82.9 87.8 93.2 98.5 102.0 108.5 118.6
65 - 69 1,111 87.82 8.54 57.80 67.1 73.2 76.4 82.5 88.1 93.1 98.7 100.8 108.2 121.5
70 - 74 993 88.23 8.89 54.50 66.0 73.4 77.0 82.8 88.3 94.1 99.6 102.7 109.4 116.4
Over 75 1,376 87.25 9.21 58.60 65.7 71.1 75.0 81.4 87.7 92.8 99.2 102.2 109.3 117.7
Female 20 - 24 888 72.05 9.34 54.50 58.0 60.9 62.5 65.8 70.0 76.2 84.4 91.7 104.3 115.9
25 - 29 888 73.54 9.96 54.80 58.8 61.7 63.5 66.7 71.3 78.2 86.4 92.5 109.6 139.2
30 - 34 1,020 76.08 10.19 24.50 60.2 63.4 65.2 68.9 74.2 81.4 90.4 96.6 104.5 127.3
35 - 39 1,505 77.12 9.89 55.70 61.4 64.2 66.0 70.0 75.5 82.6 90.5 96.1 106.4 127.6
40 - 44 1,475 77.39 9.70 52.50 61.0 64.3 66.6 70.3 75.8 82.7 90.5 95.3 107.5 119.2
45 - 49 1,605 78.74 9.22 58.30 62.7 65.8 67.8 72.2 77.6 84.0 91.0 95.6 105.6 118.0
50 - 54 1,548 79.67 8.97 56.00 61.3 67.2 69.5 73.4 78.7 84.8 91.5 96.2 104.6 121.0
55 - 59 1,727 80.93 9.04 54.00 62.8 67.3 70.2 74.7 80.1 86.6 92.2 96.3 107.4 120.2
60 - 64 1,641 83.03 8.72 52.30 64.5 69.4 72.4 77.0 82.6 88.3 94.5 98.3 105.8 120.9
65 - 69 1,407 84.65 8.91 57.20 63.2 71.0 73.7 79.0 84.4 89.9 95.6 99.6 107.6 130.0
70 - 74 1,228 85.11 8.93 58.00 64.5 70.5 73.8 79.1 85.3 90.7 96.8 100.3 106.3 113.6
Over 75 1,917 84.74 9.51 50.50 61.8 68.5 72.6 78.4 85.0 91.0 96.4 100.0 107.2 117.0
Other Race Male 20 - 24 31 93.92 15.66 67.8 67.8 70.5 72.5 79.2 92.8 110.4 112.0 114.2 117.6 117.6
25 - 29 27 96.13 16.55 70.2 70.2 73.5 77.0 82.0 94.0 109.0 122.0 122.6 123.2 123.2
30 - 34 36 100.87 16.08 78.7 78.7 78.8 82.1 86.8 97.5 112.6 124.6 130.2 134.3 134.3
35 - 39 21 100.51 17.95 76.0 76.0 80.5 81.1 89.4 99.6 109.5 115.3 132.4 150.4 150.4
40 - 44 29 111.32 22.27 77.0 77.0 77.7 78.8 96.5 109.8 132.0 142.7 145.1 148.6 148.6
45 - 49 29 104.00 17.53 75.7 75.7 78.5 81.3 88.6 104.7 113.3 132.5 132.8 137.6 137.6
50 - 54 25 105.87 18.75 76.1 76.1 78.8 81.2 89.9 107.7 117.1 132.4 139.0 151.8 151.8
55 - 59 28 105.74 17.35 79.5 79.5 86.5 88.6 94.7 100.7 117.6 127.0 135.4 164.1 164.1
60 - 64 13 111.59 15.55 97.7 97.7 97.7 100.0 102.3 104.6 110.7 139.6 143.8 143.8 143.8
65 - 69 25 100.01 15.63 71.7 71.7 77.0 78.3 90.5 98.8 109.6 117.6 118.4 144.5 144.5
70 - 74 18 110.29 17.41 82.5 82.5 82.5 89.3 93.6 109.9 128.6 133.8 139.6 139.6 139.6
Over 75 20 109.08 12.30 82.6 82.6 87.2 92.5 102.8 110.8 116.9 119.1 129.6 139.4 139.4
Female 20 - 24 26 97.69 19.77 71.5 71.5 72.5 73.4 81.4 92.9 108.9 122.5 130.7 152.2 152.2
25 - 29 32 96.60 19.74 65.0 65.0 70.5 72.5 80.6 93.9 106.8 124.1 129.3 142.0 142.0
30 - 34 33 97.87 20.46 70.5 70.5 73.3 73.8 80.9 95.1 111.0 124.4 127.9 152.2 152.2
35 - 39 27 109.49 18.72 79.5 79.5 82.9 91.2 100.0 106.4 115.8 138.2 151.2 163.8 163.8
40 - 44 25 98.03 17.05 68.7 68.7 70.1 77.6 86.2 100.0 107.0 122.4 127.3 133.4 133.4
45 - 49 18 98.56 16.29 75.4 75.4 75.4 75.6 88.0 95.4 107.2 130.1 132.8 132.8 132.8
50 - 54 15 106.64 20.04 77.2 77.2 77.2 86.8 93.3 103.5 113.1 143.0 152.8 152.8 152.8
55 - 59 21 101.16 16.83 78.6 78.6 81.8 83.5 88.9 96.8 114.8 124.2 125.3 138.2 138.2
60 - 64 24 103.28 14.76 71.2 71.2 76.6 90.4 95.2 100.7 111.8 124.6 128.5 134.9 134.9
65 - 69 15 109.03 12.73 82.5 82.5 82.5 96.0 98.8 109.5 115.7 123.7 132.6 132.6 132.6
70 - 74 11 106.64 6.84 93.1 93.1 93.1 98.0 102.0 108.7 112.3 113.7 115.0 115.0 115.0
Over 75 10 95.90 15.08 80.1 80.1 80.1 80.9 85.6 92.7 102.9 118.1 132.4 132.4 132.4

Abbreviations: KNHANES, Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; NHANES, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; SE, standard error; WC, waist circumference

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4. Implications for public health

The findings of our study have important implications for public health policies aimed at preventing and managing obesity-related diseases. First, redefining the criteria for obesity based on the latest scientific evidence and population-specific characteristics can provide a more accurate assessment of obesity and its health consequences. Second, analyzing the BMI and WC distributions by age, sex, and ethnicity can help identify populations at higher risk of obesity-related diseases and tailor interventions accordingly.[4]

Moreover, our findings suggest that public health interventions aimed at promoting physical activity and healthy eating habits should consider the specific characteristics of each population, such as age, sex, and ethnicity.[5] Interventions aimed at reducing sedentary behavior and promoting physical activity may need to be tailored differently for men and women or for different racial groups. Similarly, interventions aimed at promoting healthy eating habits may need to consider the cultural and environmental factors that influence food choices.[6]

6. Conclusion

Our previous study highlights the importance of redefining the criteria for obesity and analyzing the BMI and WC distributions based on age, sex, and ethnicity.[7] By doing so, we can provide a more accurate assessment of obesity and its health consequences, identify populations at higher risk of obesity-related diseases, and tailor interventions accordingly. Our findings have important implications for public health policies aimed at preventing and managing obesity-related diseases.

Author contribution

Dr SYR contributed to the preparation of this commentary.

Funding

The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

Competing interests

The author has no conflicts of interest to declare for this study.

Provenance and peer review

Commissioned; internally peer reviewed.

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Ravensbergen HR, Lear SA, Claydon VE. Waist circumference is the best index for obesity-related cardiovascular disease risk in individuals with spinal cord injury. Journal of Neurotrauma. 2014; 31((3)):292-300

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