Your number on the bathroom scale could be misleading. New research finds that a substantial portion of people with “normal” weight still have obesity—and the higher risk of other health problems that goes along with it.

A large, international team of scientists examined survey data from the World Health Organization. They found that roughly one in five people worldwide with a healthy body mass index (BMI) show clear signs of abdominal obesity, or excess body fat. These skinny-fat individuals were also more likely to have conditions like high blood pressure. Doctors could be missing important health issues if they only focus on their patients’ BMI, the researchers say.

“Relying solely on BMI may be insufficient to identify these high-risk individuals and provide timely interventions,” th

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