The vast majority of American men are “overfat,” a new study finds.

Various researchers, led by Australian health expert Philip Maffetone, examined the prevalence of individuals in society who have excess body fat that impairs health, many of whom aren’t conventionally considered overweight.

They particularly looked at excess fat stored in the abdomen region, which is associated with an increased risk of chronic disease (e.g., cancer, stroke, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes), higher levels of morbidity and mortality, and reduced quality of life.

In many cases, overfat individuals notice that their condition aids and abets the development of other health conditions.

The researchers found that up to 90 percent of adult males in developed countries are overfat, along with up to 80 percent of women and half of children.

While the problems were most magnified among denizens of the United States and New Zealand, they were fairly pervasive worldwide.

Previous research by the same authors had concluded that up to 76 percent of the world’s population may be overfat.

Meanwhile, measuring body mass index (BMI) isn’t effective for determining whether someone is overfat, so Maffetone et al. devised a simple equation to help anyone make that determination.

Quite simply, if the circumference of your waist measures more than half your height, you’re overfat.

Clearly, a surprising number of people fall into this category, including professional athletes and military personnel.

Don’t cheat: the researchers specify that one must measure their waist from the level of their belly button.

The study’s findings were published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health.

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