Obesity is typically assessed by measuring someone's body mass index, but now researchers are calling for a more nuanced approach that could help with treatment

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 global group of experts has suggested a new approach to diagnosing and treating obesity that does not rely solely on the much-contested body mass index (BMI).

Body Mass Index, or BMI, has long been criticized as an unreliable method for measuring obesity — and now a group of experts is sharing new recommendations for how to use it.

By coincidence (they started before GLP -1 drugs were approved for slimming), a group of 56 doctors have just answered that question. This group, called the Lancet Commission, and organised by the journal of that name, have developed a better way of diagnosing obesity—one that distinguishes when it has become pathological.

Obesity, long determined by the flawed metric of BMI, should be diagnosed based on other measurements, experts argue.

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.

When it comes to weight loss drugs, Ozempic has become a phenomenon. With nearly $14 billion in sales in 2023, it shows no signs of slowing down, much to the delight of its Danish manufacturer, Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE: NVO).

An international panel of researchers say the measure is too simplistic and focuses too much on weight versus wellness.

Novo sells semaglutide as Ozempic and Rybelsus for diabetes and as Wegovy for obesity. In price talks, CMS will treat the different forms as a single product.