General practice & prim · UKMLA & AKT
Obesity
A free high-yield preview for the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test. Below are the key points to recognise obesity — the full SA Note notes add investigations, management, complications and 10 practice questions.
Key high-yield points
- BMI = weight (kg) / height (m²) - standard screening tool; does not account for fat distribution
- Waist-to-height ratio (WtHR) - use alongside BMI when BMI <35 kg/m² to assess central adiposity
- Healthy: 0.4-0.49 | Increased risk: 0.5-0.59 | High risk: ≥0.6
Ethnic minority populations accumulate visceral fat at lower total body weight - use lower BMI thresholds (≥23 overweight, ≥27.5 obesity) for South Asian, Chinese, Black African, and African-Caribbean patients. Apply these same lower cut-offs when considering pharmacotherapy or surgery.
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