Rethinking Obesity: New Ways to Identify It Beyond BMI.

Experts are proposing a new way to define obesity, moving away from just using BMI. They want to better identify people who need treatment for health problems caused by excess body fat.

The new definition would still use BMI, which is calculated from height and weight. But it would also consider waist size and any health issues related to weight, like heart disease.

There would be two categories: clinical obesity and pre-clinical obesity. Clinical obesity means someone has health problems caused by their weight, while pre-clinical means they are at risk for those problems.

This new definition could mean some people previously considered obese would no longer be classified that way. It could also mean some people not previously considered obese would now be diagnosed, allowing them to get treatment.

While many medical groups support these changes, it's unclear how quickly they will be adopted. There are concerns about cost, practicality, and whether the new definition will be too confusing for the public.