The Global Commission on Clinical Obesity is proposing a comprehensive reorganisation of obesity diagnostics. The new approach goes beyond the body mass index (BMI) and suggests 18 criteria as guidelines for obesity diagnosis. They take into account additional measurements of body fat and objective signs of disease at an individual level. The results have been presented at an event organised by The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology in London on 16 January. The president of the commission, transCampus member Francesco Rubino, King’s College London, explains:
Viewing obesity only as a risk factor and never as a disease can unfairly deny access to time-critical care for people who are ill solely because of obesity. On the other hand, a blanket definition of obesity as a disease leads to overdiagnosis and unwarranted use of medication and surgery, with potential harm to the individual and staggering costs to society.”
The Commission, therefore, introduces two new diagnostic categories: ‘Clinical obesity’ is defined as a chronic disease associated with persistent organ dysfunction due to excessive weight. ‘Preclinical obesity’ is associated with an increased health risk, but is not a persistent disease. With this, the Commission aims at overcoming the limitations of the traditional definition and diagnosis. The new guidelines for obesity should ensure the necessary care for those affected and help healthcare systems to adopt more precise methods for its diagnosis. The aim is to help people in a more targeted way and to utilise resources in a more efficiently.
“A thorough and balanced definition of obesity is long overdue in order to address the medical and socio-economic challenges”, emphasises Stefan Bornstein, transCampus dean and one of the 56 members of the health expert commission. The expert group included people with obesity during the decision process with the intention to prevent the widespread social stigmatisation from increasing as an – unintended – consequence.
For more details, please read here the full press statement of The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.