From measured body mass index (BMI) to documented obesity in hospitalized adults: a decade-long analysis and implications for cardiometabolic care
Authors' conclusion
Despite being objectively measurable, obesity remains substantially underdocumented compared with other cardiometabolic risk factors. Documentation was associated with greater uptake of metabolic clinic visits, bariatric surgery, and GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy.
Study context
- Population
- Adults hospitalized 2013–2023 with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m² and no prior coded obesity or bariatric surgery; mean age 60.9 ± 16.9 years, 49.7% women, mean BMI 33.9 ± 3.9 kg/m²
- Participants
- 42,243 adults
- Exposure
- Obesity documented vs not documented at discharge
- Outcome
- Discharge documentation rate of obesity
- Follow-up
- Discharge
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Obesity documented at discharge
Obesity documented at discharge
10.6%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | OR (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Metabolic clinic attendance | 2.26 (2.05–2.49) | |
| Bariatric surgery | 3.51 (2.74–4.51) | |
| GLP-1 RA prescriptions | 3.44 (2.76–4.28) | |
| 0.20.5125Odds ratio (log scale) |
Obesity coding per additional BMI unit
- OR per additional BMI unit
- OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.16-1.18
Diabetes documented in patients with HbA1c ≥ 6.5%
- Diabetes documented
- 59.7%
Severe dyslipidemia documented in patients with LDL-C ≥ 190 mg/dL
- Severe dyslipidemia documented
- 39.0%
Original publication
From measured BMI to documented obesity in hospitalized adults: a decade-long analysis and implications for cardiometabolic care. Int J Obes (Lond). Published 2 September 2026. doi:10.
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