Obesity, BMI, diagnosis

[helvella]

Worth a look at the article. But The Lancet has done what it so often does, publish something of significant public importance and place it behind a paywall.

Call to overhaul obesity diagnoses amid fears of over-reliance on BMI

Lancet commission’s report calls for global shake-up and suggests looking at measures such as waist-to-height ratios and ill-health symptoms

theguardian.com/society/202...

Commissions from the Lancet journals

Definition and diagnostic criteria of clinical obesity

Published: January 14, 2025

thelancet.com/commissions/c...

[Doris11]

I’ve always thought how rubbish it is! Look at heavyweight boxers🙈🙈🙈 haven’t got an ounce of fat on them 😉

[Sparklingsunshine in reply to Doris11]

A lot of elite athletes, rugby players, weight lifters, body builders are obese, according to BMI yet we know that they have a lot of muscle and very little fat. BMI is a blunt instrument at best. Years ago I used to do an aerobics class, the instructor was a larger lady, but by god she was fit. You can be fat but fit, conversely thin and very unhealthy.

[Judithdalston]

Though I couldn’t get to read the paper as predicted it did link to a page with a graph on the right…click on it and you will see what I presume are all the tables/ diagrams which go along way to explain what the authors are suggesting instead of BMI alone: a mix of waist, hip sizes and height. Currently BMI might not be appropriate for the likes of rugby players, however it is a relatively simple unintrusive procedure to weigh someone and measure their height…some staff aren’t even bothered about you removing shoes etc as they take abit off. I can imagine measuring of waist/ hips and potential bare skin / skin folds could be viewed as far more invasive so might be far less popular with patients!

[stiff19]

ill health are huge impacts on obesity, physical and mental and its about time judgmentalists without knowledge stopped relying on the boxing of farcical bmi reliance. medical failures are down to not looking at individuals before diagnostic criterias . haven't read the published article but replying to the headlines of post. it is a significant public importance and should be highlighted not hidden behind a paywall you are right