ArticleObesity (Silver Spring, Md.)2026
Beyond BMI: The Impact of the New Lancet Commission Diagnostic Criteria on Prevalence of Obesity in the United States.
Article in Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Diagnostic Accuracy of Body Mass Index, Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, and Waist-to-Hip Ratio Against DEXA for Obesity in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Long-Term Obesity Trends in Northern Sweden: Cross-Sectional Data From the MONICA Study (1986-2022).Obesity science & practice · 2026Article
- Optimizing Goal Difficulty in a Digital Weight Loss Intervention: The Ignite Pilot Randomized Trial.Obesity science & practice · 2026Article
- Diagnosis, staging and management of obesity: a synthesis of contemporary guidelines.Nature reviews. Endocrinology · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveThis study compared population characteristics and overall US prevalence of obesity over time using the BMI criteria and the 2025 Lancet Commission criteria (i.e., the Excess Adiposity criteria).
methodsWe analyzed data from 58,053 adults aged ≥ 20 years in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 to 2023. The Excess Adiposity criteria incorporated BMI, waist circumference, waist to hip and waist to height ratios, and body fat percentage to identify obesity, which was subclassified as preclinical or clinical based on organ dysfunction and activity limitations. Survey-weighted estimates were calculated to produce nationally representative trends.
resultsBy BMI criteria, obesity prevalence increased from 31% (58.8 million) in 1999-2004 to 43% (101.3 million) in 2021-2023. By Excess Adiposity criteria, prevalence was higher and increasing from 51% (94.7 million) to 61% (143.9 million). The prevalence of clinical obesity is high due to a large number of people meeting criteria for organ dysfunction and/or activity limitations.
conclusionsUsing the Excess Adiposity criteria to define obesity classifies nearly three in five US adults as having obesity, revealing substantial clinical, public health, and policy implications. The new criteria improve identification of individuals at risk but will require further strategies to achieve equitable, effective, and sustainable obesity prevention and treatment.
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