Defining Obesity Under the Lancet Commission Criteria: Metabolic Syndrome–Anchored Body Fat Percentage Thresholds in Korean Adults
Authors' conclusion
Adiposity-defined obesity identifies phenotypes missed by BMI, particularly in older adults. BFP thresholds derived from adiposity-defined obesity vary substantially by sex and age. These findings support adiposity-centred diagnostic approaches and provide sex- and age-specific BFP thresholds for Korean adults.
Study context
- Population
- Korean adults undergoing routine health examinations; Body fat percentage (BFP) by multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis
- Participants
- 18,254 adults
- Exposure
- Body mass index (BMI)-defined vs adiposity-defined obesity
- Outcome
- Sex- and age-specific BFP thresholds at which predicted probability of metabolic syndrome matched its observed prevalence among adiposity-defined obesity
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Overall BFP thresholds
- Minimal age variation in men; threshold in women aged ≥ 65 years
- 41.0% (38.8%-43.9%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Obese solely by adiposity-based criteria
- Overall
- 6.6%
- Men aged ≥ 65 years
- 11.1%
- Women aged ≥ 65 years
- 15.8%
- Adiposity-defined obesity more prevalent than BMI-defined obesity, discordance increasing with age, particularly among women
Original publication
Defining Obesity Under the Lancet Commission Criteria: Metabolic Syndrome–Anchored Body Fat Percentage Thresholds in Korean Adults. Diabetes Obes Metab. Published 7 April 2026. doi:10.
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