Official announcements from national health departments or international health organizations

Global Experts Propose New Obesity Diagnosis with Clinical and Pre-Clinical Categories, Affecting 1 Billion Worldwide

Jan 15, 2025, 01:08 AM

A global panel of experts has proposed a new approach to diagnosing obesity, moving away from the traditional reliance on body mass index (BMI) alone. The recommendations, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal, suggest that obesity should be categorized into 'clinical obesity' and 'pre-clinical obesity.' Clinical obesity is defined when excess body fat leads to organ dysfunction or health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, liver or kidney disease, or chronic joint pain. Individuals with clinical obesity would be eligible for treatments like diet and exercise interventions and medications. Pre-clinical obesity, on the other hand, refers to individuals with excess body fat but no current health issues, who would require monitoring and preventive measures. The new criteria aim to better identify those who need treatment by considering additional measurements like waist circumference and evidence of health problems related to excess weight. The proposal has been endorsed by over 75 medical organizations worldwide, although the practical implementation may face challenges due to costs and workforce implications. Obesity is estimated to affect more than 1 billion people worldwide, with about 40% of US adults classified as obese. The report introduces 18 diagnostic criteria for clinical obesity, and preliminary analysis suggests that about 20% of people previously classified as obese would no longer meet the definition, while another 20% with serious health effects but lower BMI would now be considered clinically obese.