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Health

Global Experts Call for New Approach to Obesity

Experts from around the world say that we need to change how we identify and deal with obesity.

The report suggests dividing the word “obesity” into two parts: “clinical obesity” for people with weight-related health problems and “pre-clinical obesity” for those who are overweight but are still healthy, even though they could be at risk for health issues.

Experts say this difference gives a better and more patient-centered way to assess weight than just using body mass index (BMI), which compares weight to height. BMI has often been criticised for not being a good measure of a person’s health.

The study in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology has support from more than 50 medical experts from around the world.

The Range of Obesity

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Professor Francesco Rubino from King’s College London, who led the expert group, said, “We should think of obesity as a range of conditions.” Some people with fat stay healthy over time, while others have serious health problems.

The study says that the way obesity is currently defined causes many people to be wrongly diagnosed and receive the wrong treatment.

Personal stories show the shortcomings of BMI.

Natalie, who works out at the gym in Crewe, says, “Even though my BMI says I’m obese, my doctor says I’m healthy and fit.” I work out often and eat healthy.

Richard from Falmouth mentions that his high muscle mass gave him a false BMI score that suggested he was almost obese, even though his body fat percentage was only 4.9%.

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On the other hand, Mike believes that staying fit mainly depends on food and ignores quick solutions like weight-loss pills.

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Reassessing BMI

BMI, a measure obtained by dividing a person’s weight (in kilogrammes) by their height squared (in meters), has been widely used to classify people as underweight, healthy, overweight, or obese.

However, it doesn’t consider how fat is spread in the body or the amount of muscle, which can lead to wrong health evaluations, especially for sports.

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BMI is helpful for studying groups of people, but the report says we should also look at individual health measures, like waist size or how fat is distributed around important organs.

Differentiating Clinical and Pre-Clinical Obesity

The study presents two different categories:

Clinical obesity means being overweight to the point where it causes health problems that interfere with daily life, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, or joint pain. Sometimes, treatment with medicine or surgery is needed.

Pre-Clinical Obesity refers to people who are at risk of becoming obese and having health problems related to obesity, but who do not have those problems yet. It’s suggested to take preventive steps, like following healthy habits, getting counselling, and having frequent check-ups.

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It’s important to look at family medical background to better understand health risks.

The Role of Weight-Loss Pills
The study points out that as weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Mounjaro become more available, which can help people lose up to 20% of their body weight, it’s important to accurately diagnose obesity to use these treatments correctly.

These medications are usually only available to people who have a BMI over 30 and at least one health issue tied to their weight.

Professor Louise Baur from the University of Sydney, who helped write the report, thinks this new method will provide better care for adults and children and cut down on unnecessary treatments.

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