Experts propose new definition for obesity

NEW YORK, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Under recommendations released recently, obesity would no longer be defined solely by BMI (body mass index), a calculation of height and weight, but combined with other measurements, such as waist circumference, plus evidence of health problems tied to extra pounds.

"The whole goal of this is to get a more precise definition so that we are targeting the people who actually need the help most," said David Cummings, an obesity expert at the University of Washington and one of the 58 authors of the report published in The Lancet Diabetes &Endocrinology journal. The report introduces two new diagnostic categories: clinical obesity and pre-clinical obesity.

People with clinical obesity meet BMI and other markers of obesity and have evidence of organ, tissue or other problems caused by excess weight. That could include heart disease, high blood pressure, liver or kidney disease or chronic severe knee or hip pain. These people would be eligible for treatments, including diet and exercise interventions and obesity medications.

Obesity is estimated to affect more than 1 billion people worldwide. In the United States, about 40 percent of adults have obesity, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.