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Surprising Science

New & Improved Obesity Scale

Scientists say they may have found a new way to measure obesity that has nothing to do with how much you weigh. The new measurement is called the Body Adiposity Index, or BAI.
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A new obesity measurement doesn’t require getting on the scale: “Weight would not factor into the Body Adiposity Index, or BAI measurement, which would calculate only a ratio of hip circumference to height, according to Reuters. The new system still needs some testing, but researchers said it could prove to be useful—especially in situations in which scales are not available to weigh patients. The BAI scale comes at a particularly critical moment, as researchers estimate that more than half a billion people worldwide are considered to be obese, Reuters reported. That number is twice as big as it was 30 years ago.”

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