Experts Call for Overhaul of Obesity Diagnosis Methods

A new report recommends replacing BMI with more nuanced health assessments to better evaluate obesity and its risks.

A Lancet commission of 58 global experts suggests abandoning BMI as the primary measure of obesity due to its lack of nuance and historical biases.
The report proposes diagnosing 'clinical obesity' only when excess weight negatively impacts organ function or daily activities, distinguishing it from 'preclinical obesity.'
Alternative metrics like waist-to-hip ratio and direct health indicators, such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels, are recommended for more accurate health assessments.
Critics argue BMI oversimplifies health, failing to account for factors like muscle mass, fat distribution, and ethnic differences in disease risk.
The report emphasizes that physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness are stronger predictors of long-term health outcomes than weight alone.