Defining obesity: How BMI fails us | Nadeeja Niranjalie Wijayatunga | TEDxUniversityofMississippi

Did you know some “normal” weight people may have obesity? This is commonly called “skinny fat”. What can doctors, researchers, and individuals do to curb over-reliance on weight measures to gauge health? Dr. Nadeeja Wijayatunga helps individuals understand the phenomena “unhealthy lean” and calls on the medical and scientific community to invest more research and collaboration toward understanding the Lean Paradox.

Nadeeja Niranjalie Wijayatunga is an assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management at the University of Mississippi. She is an obesity researcher and a registered dietitian nutritionist. Dr. Wijayatunga studies biobehavioral aspects of obesity and unhealthy lean – also known as skinny fat – as well as the role of diet and exercise in both conditions. Before coming to the United States for her doctorate in nutritional sciences at Texas Tech University, Wijayatunga worked as a medical doctor and was a faculty member at the medical school of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura in Sri Lanka. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx