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Fox News
5 hours ago
- Health
- Fox News
Body fat predicts major health risk that BMI misses, researchers say
Body mass index (BMI) may not be the most accurate predictor of death risk. A new study from the University of Florida found that BMI — a measurement that is commonly used to determine whether a person's weight is in a healthy range for their height — is "deeply flawed" in terms of predicting mortality. Instead, one's level of body fat is "far more accurate," concluded the study, which was published this week in the Annals of Family Medicine. To measure participants' body fat, the researchers used a method called bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), which uses a device to measure the resistance of body tissue to a small electrical current. Over a 15-year period, those who had high body fat were found to be 78% more likely to die than those who had healthy body fat levels, researchers found. They were also more than three times as likely to die of heart disease, the study noted. BMI — which is calculated by dividing weight by height, squared — was described as "entirely unreliable" in predicting the risk of death over a 15-year period from any cause. The study included 4,252 people in the U.S. and pulled data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. BMI should not be relied upon as a "vital sign" of health, according to senior author Frank Orlando, M.D., medical director of UF Health Family Medicine in Springhill. "I'm a family physician, and on a regular basis, we're faced with patients who have diabetes, heart disease, obesity and other conditions that are related to obesity," Orlando said in a press release for the study. "One of the routine measures we take alongside traditional vital signs is BMI. We use BMI to screen for a person having an issue with their body composition, but it's not as accurate for everyone as vital signs are," he added. BMI has been the international standard for measuring obesity since the 1980s, according to many sources, though some experts have questioned its validity. "I think the study shows it's time to go to an alternative that is now proven to be far better at the job." An individual is considered obese if their BMI is 30 or above, overweight if it is between 25 and 29.9, of "normal" weight in the range of 18.5 to 24.9, or underweight if lower than 18.5. While BMI is easy to calculate, one of its main limitations is that it cannot distinguish between muscle and fat mass, the researchers noted. "For example, people who are bodybuilders can really elevate their body mass index," Orlando said. "But they're healthy even with a BMI indicating that they're obese." "BMI is just so ingrained in how we think about body fat," Mainous added. "I think the study shows it's time to go to an alternative that is now proven to be far better at the job." Other methods, such as a DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) scan, may be even more accurate than BIA, but are much more expensive and not as accessible, the researchers noted. "If you talk to obesity researchers, they're going to say you have to use the DEXA scan because it's the most accurate," Mainous said in the release. "And that's probably true. But it's never going to be viable in a doctor's office or family practice." Dr. Stephen Vogel — a family medicine physician with PlushCare, a virtual health platform with primary care, therapy and weight management options — echoed the limitations of BMI. "It has been an easy measurement tool that helps us understand at-risk groups across various populations and demographics, but it doesn't provide accurate data from patient to patient," the North Carolina-based doctor, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. "These findings don't challenge the assumptions about BMI — they strengthen the message that new standards, delivered in a consistent and low-cost way, would provide better nuance for the individual when it comes to their overall physical health." "The main strengths of this study are a better correlation to an individual's risk of morbidity and mortality — however, the limitations lie in the fact that we don't have enough data to determine the right cutoff for these numbers, or to identify the right tools that will be both accurate and precise across the population," Vogel said. The researchers also acknowledged that body fat percentage thresholds haven't yet been as standardized as BMI and waist circumference. Also, the age range of the participants in the study was limited by the data source. "Future studies should extend this comparison of body fat to BMI in older adults," the researchers wrote. The study was also limited by focusing only on mortality as an outcome, they noted, without taking into account any developing diseases — such as heart failure or cancer — that could deepen the understanding of body fat as a risk factor. The goal, according to Vogel, is to have a cost-effective, consistent method that can be used across the population with reliable accuracy. "These data will drive better discussions in the doctor's office, as well as public health initiatives with the goal of improving the health of all." "Benefits would come in the form of a more detailed list of information that helps providers and patients make informed decisions about the patient's health, which is ideal," Vogel noted. "I'm hopeful there's enough buzz around these measures that steps will continue to be taken toward regular implementation." For more Health articles, visit The researchers are hopeful that once standards are validated, measuring body fat percentage with bioelectrical impedance analysis could become standard of care. They added, "These data will drive better discussions in the doctor's office, as well as public health initiatives with the goal of improving the health of all."
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Florida lands 4-star IOL commit from South Carolina
Timberland (Saint Stephen, South Carolina) interior offensive lineman Desmond Green is headed to the University of Florida. The four-star recruit was considered a Georgia lean at one point, and South Carolina stayed in the mix as a hometown contender. But Green committed to the Orange and Blue on Thursday afternoon after taking an official visit to Florida earlier in June. 'Florida really grew on me a lot the last few months,' Green said to On3. 'Before I started official visits, back in the spring, I was keeping it even, but everyone was thinking Georgia was the school. I went to Florida for a spring practice and I liked it a lot. Then on the official visit, I knew it. It hit me like a semi truck… Florida was the school for me. I had that feeling and I could not say no to it.' Green has the kind of size and length that Billy Napier likes in the trenches. Swamp247 reported Green is just shy of 6-foot-5-inches and weighs 350 pounds "with a 22-inch arm length and 81.4-inch wingspan." He's flashed athleticism but needs to develop his body in college, as most high school big men do. He's powerful already, and transferring some of that weight into muscle will only make him more dominant on the line. The 247Sports Composite grants Green a four-star grade and puts him at No. 393 nationally. He checks in at No. 33 among interior offensive linemen in the class of 2026 and is No. 9 in South Carolina. Rivals is the only individual service that thinks Green is a four-star recruit in its standalone rankings, but a top-150 placement gave him a big boost. Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
These LIV golfers are entered in final qualifying for the 2025 Open Championship
It'll be a family affair for the Poulters next week when it comes to the Open Qualifying Series. Ian Poulter and his son Luke, a rising junior at the University of Florida, are registered to compete in the Royal Cinque Ports final qualifying site for the 2025 Open Championship, set for July 17-20 at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. The R&A announced the fields for four final qualifying, and there are plenty notables trying to play their way into the field for a chance to hoist the Claret Jug. Five spots are available from each of the four qualifying sites, which will be contested over 36 holes on Tuesday, July 1. Among those attempting to qualify are numerous LIV Golf players, like Ian Poulter. Joining him at the Royal Cinque Ports site will be David Puig, Luis Masaveu, Graeme McDowell, Dean Burmester and Peter Uihlein. At Burnham & Berrow, Jinichiro Kozuma, Caleb Surratt, Anirban Lahiri, Abraham Ancer and Paul Casey will tee it up. At Dundonald Links, Lee Westwood, Adrian Meronk and Branden Grace will try to qualify. At the final qualifying site, West Lancashire, Sam Hornsfield, Lucas Herbert, Andy Ogletree and Harold Varner II are in the field hoping to qualify. All in all, there are 18 LIV Golf players attempting to go through final qualifying. Bryson DeChambeau, Tyrrell Hatton, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Jason Kokrak, Tom McKibbin, Phil Mickelson, Joaquin Niemann, Louis Oosthuizen, Carlos Ortiz, Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed, Cameron Smith and Henrik Stenson are the 14 LIV players already in the field at Royal Portrush. John Catlin is also in the field, though he has played in only three LIV events in 2025. There were 12 LIV players who competed in the Masters, 15 in the PGA Championship and 14 in the U.S. Open this year. LIV Golf competes this week in its ninth event of 2025 at Maridoe in Dallas and will play at Valderrama the week before the Open Championship.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Science
- Indian Express
How ChatGPT and other AI tools are changing the teaching profession
For her 6th grade honors class, math teacher Ana Sepúlveda wanted to make geometry fun. She figured her students 'who live and breathe soccer' would be interested to learn how mathematical concepts apply to the sport. She asked ChatGPT for help. Within seconds, the chatbot delivered a five-page lesson plan, even offering a theme: 'Geometry is everywhere in soccer — on the field, in the ball, and even in the design of stadiums!' It explained the place of shapes and angles on a soccer field. It suggested classroom conversation starters: Why are those shapes important to the game? It proposed a project for students to design their own soccer field or stadium using rulers and protractors. 'Using AI has been a game changer for me,' said Sepúlveda, who teaches at a dual language school in Dallas and has ChatGPT translate everything into Spanish. 'It's helping me with lesson planning, communicating with parents and increasing student engagement.' Across the country, artificial intelligence tools are changing the teaching profession as educators use them to help write quizzes and worksheets, design lessons, assist with grading and reduce paperwork. By freeing up their time, many say the technology has made them better at their jobs. A poll released Wednesday by Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation found 6 in 10 U.S. teachers working in K-12 public schools used AI tools for their work over the past school year, with heavier use among high school educators and early-career teachers. It surveyed more than 2,000 teachers nationwide in April. Respondents who use AI tools weekly estimate they save them about six hours a week, suggesting the technology could help alleviate teacher burnout, said Gallup research consultant Andrea Malek Ash, who authored the report. States are issuing guidelines for using AI tools in classrooms. As schools navigate concerns over student abuse of the technology, some are also are introducing guidelines and training for educators so teachers are aware of avoiding shortcuts that shortchange students. About two dozen states have state-level AI guidance for schools, but the extent to which it is applied by schools and teachers is uneven, says Maya Israel, an associate professor of educational technology and computer science education at the University of Florida. 'We want to make sure that AI isn't replacing the judgment of a teacher,' Israel said. If teachers are using chatbots for grading they should be aware the tools are good for 'low-level' grading like multiple choice tests but less effective when nuance is required. There should be a way for students to alert teachers if the grading is too harsh or inconsistent, and the final grading decision needs to remain with the educator, she 8 in 10 teachers who use AI tools say it saves them time on work tasks like making worksheets, assessments, quizzes or on administrative work. And about 6 in 10 teachers who use AI tools said they are improving the quality of their work when it comes to modifying student materials, or giving student feedback. 'AI has transformed how I teach. It's also transformed my weekends and given me a better work-life balance,' said Mary McCarthy, a high school social studies teacher in the Houston area who has used AI tools for help with lesson plans and other said training she received from her school district on AI tools has helped her model proper use for her students. 'If I'm on the soapbox of, 'AI is bad and kids are going to get dumb,' well yeah if we don't teach them how to use the tool,' said McCarthy. 'It feels like my responsibility as the adult in the room to help them figure out how to navigate this future.'Teachers say the technology is best used sparingly Views on the role of artificial intelligence in education have shifted dramatically since ChatGPT launched in late 2022. Schools around the country initially banned it, but since then many have sought ways to incorporate it into classrooms. Concerns about student overuse and misuse are still prevalent: About half of teachers worry that student use of AI will decrease teens' ability to think critically and independently or to have persistence when problem solving, according to the study. One benefit teachers see in becoming more familiar with artificial intelligence is the ability to spot when students are overusing it. Clues that assignments are written by AI tools include an absence of grammatical errors and complex phrases in writing, said Colorado high school English teacher Darren Barkett. He said he relies on ChatGPT himself to create lesson plans and grade multiple choice tests and essays. In suburban Chicago, middle school art teacher Lindsay Johnson said she uses only AI programs vetted by her school and deemed safe to use with minors, for data privacy and other concerns. To ensure students feel confident in their skills, she said she brings the technology in only for later stages of projects. For her 8th graders' final assessment, Johnson asked them to make a portrait of an influential person in their lives. After students put final touches on their subject's face, Johnson introduced generative AI for those who wanted help designing the background. She used an AI tool within Canva, after checking with her district's IT department that the design software passed its privacy screener.'As an art teacher my goal is to let them know the different tools that are out there and to teach them how those tools work,' she said. Some students weren't interested in the help. 'Half the class said, 'I've got a vision, and am going to keep going with it.''
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Inhaled insulin as good as injection for children at mealtime
London: Children with diabetes who inhaled their mealtime doses of insulin did just as well as those who injected insulin under the skin, researchers reported at the American Diabetes Association scientific meeting in Chicago. To regulate their blood sugar, patients with type 1 diabetes usually require an injection of a long-acting basal insulin once a day, plus additional injections of rapid-acting insulins at mealtimes. MannKind's inhaled insulin Afrezza is approved for use by adults but not yet for children, which prompted the study. The 230 children with type 1 diabetes, ages 4 to 17, who participated in the trial received either Afrezza at mealtimes, or their usual mealtime injections of insulin, for 26 weeks. Everyone continued to receive their basal insulin injections. Control of hemoglobin A1c, a marker of blood sugar control over the past several months, was comparable with the inhaled insulin and the injected insulin, the researchers found. Inhaled insulin was also associated with less weight gain and slightly higher child and parent preference scores. The inhaled formula did not have any adverse effects on patients' lungs, the researchers reported. "Inhaled insulin is the fastest acting insulin available and is a valuable alternative to injected analogue insulin," study leader Dr. Michael Haller of the University of Florida said in a statement. "Afrezza should be available as an option to all children and adults with type 1 diabetes." ONCE-WEEKLY INSULIN PROMISING FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES Eli Lilly's experimental once-weekly insulin efsitora was comparable to daily insulins in nearly a thousand adults with type 2 diabetes in three late-stage trials, researchers reported at the ADA meeting. The trials, which were designed to study patients at different stages of insulin use, each found efsitora to be just as effective as daily insulins for bringing HbA1c levels - a common measure of blood sugar over time - under control. "Once-weekly efsitora may offer a significant advancement for people with type 2 diabetes who need insulin by eliminating over 300 injections per year," Lilly's senior vice president of product development, Jeff Emmick, said in a statement. One trial, reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, involved patients with type 2 diabetes who were using insulin for the first time. A second trial in patients who had been using daily basal insulin degludec and a third trial in those who had been taking basal insulin glargine plus extra mealtime insulin doses were both reported in The Lancet. Efsitora "has the potential to facilitate and simplify insulin therapy , reducing the hesitation often associated with starting insulin to treat type 2 diabetes," Dr. Julio Rosenstock of University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, who led one of the studies, said in a statement. People newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes usually start treatment with oral medications, but roughly one-third of them will need to use insulin within 8 years of their diagnosis, according to an editorial in The Lancet. GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SKIN GRAFTS TREAT BLISTERING DISEASE Long-lasting wounds from a painful genetic skin disease can be healed with skin grafts genetically engineered from a patient's own cells, researchers reported in The Lancet. In severe dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa , or EB, the skin is so fragile the slightest touch - even from clothing - causes blistering and wounds, eventually leading to large, open lesions that never heal. "With our novel gene therapy technique, we successfully treated the hardest-to-heal wounds, which were usually also the most painful ones for these patients," study leader Dr. Jean Tang of Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford in Palo Alto, California said in a statement. Severe dystrophic EB is caused by a defect in the gene for collagen VII, a protein that normally holds the skin together. As a result, the layers of the skin separate in response to even slight friction. To create the personalized skin grafts, doctors take a small biopsy sample of the patient's un-wounded skin and introduce a corrected version of the collagen VII gene to the skin cells. These cells are then grown into sheets of healthy skin. For the late-stage study, 11 patients with recessive dystrophic EB had a total of 43 wounds treated with grafts. For each treated wound, the researchers also identified a comparable "control" wound on the same patient that was managed with traditional measures. Six months later, 81% of treated wounds were at least half healed, compared with 16% of control wounds. Roughly two-thirds of treated wounds were at least three-quarters healed, compared with 7% of control wounds, and 16% of treated wounds had completely healed, compared with none of the control wounds. In addition, grafted areas had less pain, itching and blistering. The same research team had previously developed a gene therapy gel for treating smaller EB wounds. "I hope that if these patients are diagnosed as infants and start the gene therapy gel, maybe they won't develop big wounds," Tang said. "But if the gels don't work and a wound does expand, the skin graft therapy is the right treatment. The life arc of their disease will, I hope, be modified, with less suffering." An editorial published with the study notes that EB patients who participated in early-stage trials of the skin grafts still had decreased blistering and wounding, pain, and itch at grafted sites five years later. In April, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Abeona Therapeutics approval for the skin grafts as an EB therapy. (To receive the full newsletter in your inbox for free sign up here)
