Instead of using the controversial body mass index, or BMI, to assess weight, an international group of scientists proposes an approach that looks at how excess body fat affects health

In Tuesday's issue of The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, dozens of international medical experts and people with lived experience are proposing a major change to how obesity is diagnosed because they say current medical approaches don't reliably assess an individual's health.

Traditionally BMI was used to define obesity, but a team of doctors redefined obesity based on the Indian population.

Doctors worldwide should diagnose obesity differently, relying on broader criteria and taking into account when the condition causes ill-health, according to a new framework drawn up by experts and endorsed by 76 medical organizations internationally.

A group of experts from around the world are proposing an alternative way of defining clinical obesity, eschewing the commonly referenced body max index (BMI) and instead approaching the condition

Obesity is now understood as a condition that affects the functions of organs and tissues, leading to complications such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure.

A new report says only using BMI to determine if a patient has obesity leads to under-diagnosing people who are ill and over-diagnosing people who don't currently deal with the negative health consequences of obesity.

As of March 2020, nearly 42% of US adults had obesity, with the report estimating that more than a billion people are living with obesity worldwide.

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