Obesity needs new definition, says global report

There is a risk too many people are being diagnosed as obese when "a more accurate" and "nuanced" definition is needed, a report from global experts says.

Doctors should consider the overall health of patients with excess fat, rather than just measuring their body mass index (BMI), it says.

Those with chronic illnesses caused by their weight should be diagnosed with "clinical obesity" - but those with no health problems should be diagnosed with "pre-clinical obesity".

More than a billion people are estimated to be living with obesity worldwide and prescription weight-loss drugs are in high demand.

The report, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal, is supported by more than 50 medical experts around the world.

The report calls for a "reframing" of obesity to distinguish between patients with a disease and those who remain healthy, but at risk of disease in the future.

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