An international group of experts consisting of 58 specialists from various medical fields proposes to eliminate BMI as the sole criterion. The group’s report was published on Wednesday in the journal The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, writes tvnet. The main goal of the doctors is to radically change obesity diagnosis. More important than body mass index is where the excess fat tissue is located in the body and what actually troubles the person.
Currently, overweight and obesity are assessed based on body mass index (BMI). A body mass index from 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight or labeled as a pre-obesity indicator. If a person’s BMI is 30 or more, they are classified as obese.
BMI is calculated by dividing body weight in kilograms by the square of height. For example, the body mass index of a person weighing 67 kilograms and 170 centimeters tall is calculated as follows – 67: (1.7 × 1.7) = 23.18. According to the National Institute of Health and Welfare, a normal body mass index for adults aged 19 to 65 is considered to be between 18.5 and 25.
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