New Plan for Obesity Diagnosis Aims to Go Beyond BMI

A group of global experts is proposing a new way to define and diagnose obesity, reducing the emphasis on the controversial body mass index (BMI) and hoping to better identify people who need treatment for the disease caused by excess body fat.

A Shift Away from BMI

Under the new plan, obesity would no longer be defined solely by BMI, a calculation of height and weight, but combined with other measurements, such as waist circumference, and evidence of health problems tied to extra pounds.

Redefining Obesity

Obesity would be divided into two new categories: clinical obesity and pre-clinical obesity.

Clinical obesity would include people who meet BMI and other markers of obesity and have evidence of organ, tissue or other problems caused by excess weight. This could include heart disease, high blood pressure, liver or kidney disease or chronic severe knee or hip pain.

People with pre-clinical obesity are at risk for these conditions, but have no ongoing illness.

The Limitations of BMI

BMI has long been considered a flawed measure that can over-diagnose or underdiagnose obesity. It doesn’t take into account muscle mass or distribution of body fat.

About 20% of people who currently meet the BMI criteria for obesity would no longer be considered obese under the new definition, according to preliminary analysis.

About 20% of people with serious health effects but lower BMI would now be considered clinically obese, experts said.

The Implications

The new definitions have been endorsed by more than 75 medical organizations around the world, but it’s unclear how widely or quickly they could be adopted in practice.

The report acknowledges that implementation of the recommendations “will carry significant costs and workforce implications.”

A spokesperson for the health insurance trade group AHIP said it’s “too early at this point to gauge how plans will incorporate these criteria into coverage or other policies.”

The Next Steps

The new definitions are likely to be confusing for the general public, according to experts. For a new classification system to be widely adopted, it would need to be extremely quick, inexpensive, and reliable.

The next steps include overhauling the definition of obesity and educating healthcare providers on the new criteria. The public education campaign is expected to be challenging, given the simplicity of the current definition of obesity based on BMI.

Conclusion

The new plan aims to redefine obesity beyond BMI to better identify people who need treatment. The benefits include a more accurate diagnosis, more effective treatment, and reduced healthcare costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Will the new definition of obesity be used universally?
A: The new definitions have been endorsed by over 75 medical organizations, but it’s unclear how widely they will be adopted in practice.

Q: Will insurance plans cover treatments based on the new definition?
A: It’s unclear how plans will incorporate these criteria into coverage or other policies, according to AHIP.

Q: How will the public be educated about the new definition?
A: A public education campaign will be needed to explain the new criteria and encourage healthcare providers to adopt them.