Revolutionary Israeli medical research has transformed obesity diagnosis in the United States, fundamentally changing how tens of millions of Americans are classified for treatment. The groundbreaking study, spearheaded by Prof. Dror Dicker from Sharon Hospital within the Clalit healthcare system, appeared in the prestigious journal Annals of Internal Medicine and introduces criteria that will reclassify approximately 50 million Americans from overweight to obese.
Prof. Dicker developed these innovative criteria through collaboration with the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO), with the new definition originally reported in Israel Hayom. Under EASO's revised diagnostic approach, individuals with BMI readings between 25–30 – traditionally categorized as overweight – receive an obesity diagnosis when significant abdominal fat accumulation is present. This novel measurement system divides waist circumference by height, with results exceeding 0.5 coupled with obesity-related conditions triggering the obesity classification.
The research team – comprising Prof. Dror Dicker from Sharon Hospital, Prof. Orna Reges from Ariel University, and Dr. Tomas Karpati from Holon Institute of Technology – examined comprehensive data from roughly 44,000 American adults participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1999 and 2018.
Study results demonstrated that 18.8% of participants, formerly categorized as simply overweight using BMI standards, now qualify as People With Obesity (PWO) under the updated definition. Prevalent conditions within this newly identified group included hypertension (79.9%), arthritis (33.2%), diabetes (15.6%), and cardiovascular disease (10.5%).
The research's most significant discovery concerned mortality patterns. Death rates among the newly classified obesity group paralleled those of normal-weight individuals with existing medical conditions while exceeding rates for healthy normal-weight people. Furthermore, when compared to individuals maintaining overweight status under the revised criteria, the newly identified obesity group demonstrated elevated mortality risk.
These findings carry substantial implications for Israel's population. Presently, roughly 38% of women and 30% of men aged 20–64 fall into the overweight category. Applying the American study's proportions suggests nearly one-fifth might qualify as obese, potentially reclassifying 6–7% of Israel's population as obese patients with heightened mortality risk.
Understanding obesity beyond weight measurements
Prof. Dror Dicker, an obesity treatment specialist directing Internal Medicine Ward D at Sharon Hospital, explained, "This revised definition potentially allows earlier obesity disease identification – preventing life-threatening complications before they develop. Today we recognize obesity not merely as a weight measurement, but as a sophisticated chronic condition with profound health consequences. The updated definition may help us identify high-risk patients sooner and prevent dangerous disease progression. Nevertheless, additional research remains essential to determine which patients will genuinely benefit from pharmaceutical treatments or medical interventions."
Dr. Thomas Krafty, serving as both physician and data scientist at Holon Institute of Technology, clarified, "When comparing newly classified obesity patients to normal-weight individuals without underlying conditions, mortality risk increases by 50% – matching risk levels found in normal-weight people with existing medical conditions. Compared to individuals retaining overweight classification under the new system, mortality risk jumps 77% higher."
Prof. Orna Reges, functioning as epidemiologist and researcher within Ariel University's Health Systems Management Department, concluded, "Given this expanded overweight population now classified as living with obesity and facing increased mortality risk, we must evaluate their potential response to specialized treatments. Further investigation is crucial to validate these findings, enable personalized obesity treatment approaches, and reduce obesity-related complications and deaths."
