>The new approach, which combines BMI with other body measurements and organ function tests, suggests BMI alone misses obesity in 5-9% of adults, while wrongly diagnosing the condition in as many as 3%.
'Diagnosing' is a bit strong for a simplified measure with the '>25=obese' rule of thumb.
BMI is an inherently flawed measure, but so easy to calculate that it becomes handy again. It's just important to look at the whole person when diagnosing.
Gotta say though for something so simple only 3% getting a false positive? Kinda reinforces the idea that most heavy people complaining about BMI are coping and aren't actually elite lifters.
This was my first thought, too. I used to work in an eating disorder clinic, and a patient's BMI was always available in their chart. It's a useful metric to have as part of a patient's overall picture of health; it was never considered alone.
There’s also the BMI range 25-29.9 as a buffer between healthy weight and obese. That’s where you’d likely see the people who just have a lot of muscle and a healthy body fat percentage. Body builders on steroids that achieve a bmi over 30 with low body fat are probably also at a higher health risk.
My 18yo has always hit “obese” on paper. His pediatrician never addressed it because he isn’t obese and rarely ever even had extra padding. He’s always been tall and muscular. Not bulky, just solid.
My coworkers. They are always saying "doesn't matter what you weigh, the doctor will still tell you that you are overweight." I don't have the heart to tell them they actually are overweight.
I mean, that makes sense to me if obesity is going to be considered a chronic disease that requires medication management which is the direction the field seems to be going.
Classic BMI would be a flag and then you'd do a more comprehensive assessment before making a treatment plan
Easy to do at home and on a population level, basically no room to measure incorrectly, and has a less than 10% error rate.
I'm guessing when you apply the racial coefficient, the error drops to decimals. For reference you add 2 BMI to asians and subtract 2 from black people and it becomes significantly more accurate.
Korea personally adds 5 to asians, countries are of course aware that BMI needs adjustment, but ultimately it's not like it's some grand mystery whether or not your gross potbelly is a problem.
Ah yes, I am excited for my influx of BMI is inaccurate because I am a bodybuilder that routinely dead lifts two cars or my tits each weigh 40 pounds posts.
This is a much-needed shift in how we assess obesity. BMI is useful for screening, but it doesn't show fat distribution or distinguish muscle from excess body fat. Combining it with waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio and metabolic health assessments gives a more complete picture. The 2026 clinical guidance also recognises lower BMI thresholds for Asian adults.
Reminds me of when I moved to the UK in my early thirties for work. A physical was required which essentially entailed measuring my height and weight. When I was told I was overweight I literally laughed out loud because I was not remotely overweight. So, apparently, if you are muscular and not particularly tall you are overweight, or, what some might call, fat. It didn't have any impact so that was the end of it but it certainly made me wonder if this was an isolated incident (e.g. some foreigner physical BS so who really cares?) or a systemic issue affecting all or many healthcare professionals across the UK?
My BMI puts me at the lower range of obese or boarder line. Yet when tested my fat % was 17%
BMI doesn’t factor in muscle mass, only mass vs height. It is a lame metric and needs to not be the standard of what we use.
Edit: love the downvotes. Reddit do your thing babbbyyy
I get badgered consistently to join "life-style" counseling programs because of my "obesity", even though my body fat is way under 20%.
The healthcare system in my country has decided that BMI is the gold standard to make that decision, and no amount of "but I lift" is going to make them budge. In my old job it went as far as my employer low-key ordering me to do something about it after getting noted on my "condition" by the clinic that did the health check.
As long as the misuse is this flagrant, complaining about BMI being a useless metric is completely valid. It needs to be retired.
Welcome to Japan. When it comes to health checks, all they look at is the number they get, and what their Excel sheet tells them it means. And that Excel sheet's definition of a healthy male is basically an anorectic hobbit.
I'm tall and consider myself pretty slim, but I haven't fit the Japanese requirement for a sub-33-inch waist for a man since I was a teenager.
Yes, there is indeed a world outside the US, I applaud your eruditeness.
Other than that, I'm leaning on disagreeing with you. BMI without other data is a borderline useless metric in any country, and if that was widely accepted, there wouldn't be a need for articles like this.
Medications, iron deficiency, and anemia can all falsely elevate A1C. Recent illness, stress, and recent heavy exercise can temporarily spike your cholesterol. No test/measurement is perfect. They all have their limits. One test isn't going to give you a full picture of someone's health. That doesn't mean you throw them out or that they're bad metrics.
[OP] The_Weekend_Baker | 19 hours ago
>The new approach, which combines BMI with other body measurements and organ function tests, suggests BMI alone misses obesity in 5-9% of adults, while wrongly diagnosing the condition in as many as 3%.
Free-Artist | 19 hours ago
'Diagnosing' is a bit strong for a simplified measure with the '>25=obese' rule of thumb.
BMI is an inherently flawed measure, but so easy to calculate that it becomes handy again. It's just important to look at the whole person when diagnosing.
symbicortrunner | 11 hours ago
Obesity is BMI of 30 or higher
AttonJRand | 14 hours ago
Gotta say though for something so simple only 3% getting a false positive? Kinda reinforces the idea that most heavy people complaining about BMI are coping and aren't actually elite lifters.
NameBunchOfNums | 10 hours ago
Gotta be like 0.2% body builders, 0.1% people with weird fluid buildup somewhere, and 2.7% people who are very overweight but not technically obese
rainbow_unicorn_barf | 13 hours ago
This was my first thought, too. I used to work in an eating disorder clinic, and a patient's BMI was always available in their chart. It's a useful metric to have as part of a patient's overall picture of health; it was never considered alone.
New-Possible1575 | 2 hours ago
There’s also the BMI range 25-29.9 as a buffer between healthy weight and obese. That’s where you’d likely see the people who just have a lot of muscle and a healthy body fat percentage. Body builders on steroids that achieve a bmi over 30 with low body fat are probably also at a higher health risk.
irritatedellipses | 17 hours ago
Exactly. Its like a temperature range on a CPI. Yeah, I got an 90c hotspot. Now let's see if it's an issue, a binning problem, or just happenstance.
BMI is just the insanely easy start to knowing if you need to check shit out.
Environmental-Car481 | 12 hours ago
My 18yo has always hit “obese” on paper. His pediatrician never addressed it because he isn’t obese and rarely ever even had extra padding. He’s always been tall and muscular. Not bulky, just solid.
Wrong-Condition-9115 | 16 hours ago
Don't worry most of you will still be fat lol🤣🤣
WolfSavage | 10 hours ago
My coworkers. They are always saying "doesn't matter what you weigh, the doctor will still tell you that you are overweight." I don't have the heart to tell them they actually are overweight.
diescheide | 15 hours ago
You mean all this extra weight I'm carrying around isn't just a bad measuring system? Shucks!
ShapeShiftingCats | 14 hours ago
What do you mean? "As many as 3%" were misdiagnosed as obese..
Clearly, all the BMI haters fall squarely into precisely that margin!
/s
ETA: I am currently overweight as per BMI and my mirror. I am not judging your weight.
fairysmut1113 | 13 hours ago
Haha I thought the same
effyochicken | 14 hours ago
Ah yes, a convenient BMI alternative that involves a full set of bloodwork, multiple extra measurements and follow up appointments.
It’s almost like they’re just describing a doctor doing a regular yearly physical…
Thunderplant | 10 hours ago
I mean, that makes sense to me if obesity is going to be considered a chronic disease that requires medication management which is the direction the field seems to be going.
Classic BMI would be a flag and then you'd do a more comprehensive assessment before making a treatment plan
Accomplished-Eye9542 | 10 hours ago
Easy to do at home and on a population level, basically no room to measure incorrectly, and has a less than 10% error rate.
I'm guessing when you apply the racial coefficient, the error drops to decimals. For reference you add 2 BMI to asians and subtract 2 from black people and it becomes significantly more accurate.
Korea personally adds 5 to asians, countries are of course aware that BMI needs adjustment, but ultimately it's not like it's some grand mystery whether or not your gross potbelly is a problem.
AcanthisittaNo6653 | 15 hours ago
People get shorter as they grow older. It's not fair that getting shorter makes us obese!
RipeBanana4475 | 16 hours ago
Ah yes, I am excited for my influx of BMI is inaccurate because I am a bodybuilder that routinely dead lifts two cars or my tits each weigh 40 pounds posts.
sokuyari99 | 15 hours ago
I actually deadlift 40 pound tits, where does that put me?
NYVines | 3 hours ago
Is this just another way to avoid paying for GLP1s?
iCliniq_official | 51 minutes ago
This is a much-needed shift in how we assess obesity. BMI is useful for screening, but it doesn't show fat distribution or distinguish muscle from excess body fat. Combining it with waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio and metabolic health assessments gives a more complete picture. The 2026 clinical guidance also recognises lower BMI thresholds for Asian adults.
Extreme_Mark_3354 | 15 hours ago
What about someone’s knees? This is a test for metabolic health, not obesity.
irrelevantAF | 14 hours ago
Good - finally help for the millions of poor buggers that get misdiagnosed as obese every day, while they’re actually skinny and malnourished.
94grampaw | 11 hours ago
That exactly the opposite of what was said
Wrong-Fella | 5 hours ago
Reminds me of when I moved to the UK in my early thirties for work. A physical was required which essentially entailed measuring my height and weight. When I was told I was overweight I literally laughed out loud because I was not remotely overweight. So, apparently, if you are muscular and not particularly tall you are overweight, or, what some might call, fat. It didn't have any impact so that was the end of it but it certainly made me wonder if this was an isolated incident (e.g. some foreigner physical BS so who really cares?) or a systemic issue affecting all or many healthcare professionals across the UK?
ODFoxtrotOscar | an hour ago
Yes, very muscular people are outliers on BMI
That’s why it’s a screening, not a diagnostic, test
BrumLeaves | 16 hours ago
My BMI puts me at the lower range of obese or boarder line. Yet when tested my fat % was 17% BMI doesn’t factor in muscle mass, only mass vs height. It is a lame metric and needs to not be the standard of what we use.
Edit: love the downvotes. Reddit do your thing babbbyyy
Ethanol_Based_Life | 16 hours ago
Anybody who BMI doesn't work for already knows if they're fit. The edge case anecdotes get old.
MostSharpest | 14 hours ago
I get badgered consistently to join "life-style" counseling programs because of my "obesity", even though my body fat is way under 20%.
The healthcare system in my country has decided that BMI is the gold standard to make that decision, and no amount of "but I lift" is going to make them budge. In my old job it went as far as my employer low-key ordering me to do something about it after getting noted on my "condition" by the clinic that did the health check.
As long as the misuse is this flagrant, complaining about BMI being a useless metric is completely valid. It needs to be retired.
ThePurpleandBanana | 14 hours ago
No doctor is going to look at someone sub 20% body fat and make this assessment.
MostSharpest | 14 hours ago
Welcome to Japan. When it comes to health checks, all they look at is the number they get, and what their Excel sheet tells them it means. And that Excel sheet's definition of a healthy male is basically an anorectic hobbit.
I'm tall and consider myself pretty slim, but I haven't fit the Japanese requirement for a sub-33-inch waist for a man since I was a teenager.
94grampaw | 11 hours ago
Well the Japanese are a problem, but that has nothing to do with bmi.
This is America, we dont have that problem here
MostSharpest | 10 hours ago
Yes, there is indeed a world outside the US, I applaud your eruditeness.
Other than that, I'm leaning on disagreeing with you. BMI without other data is a borderline useless metric in any country, and if that was widely accepted, there wouldn't be a need for articles like this.
bee-sting | 15 hours ago
BMI is more likely to underestimate how fast you are.
ODFoxtrotOscar | an hour ago
Downvote because you don’t seem to understand the difference between a screening test and the subsequent diagnostic test
BrumLeaves | 7 minutes ago
Fiar enough. And now I shall learn.
LittleDevilHorns | 16 hours ago
Medications, iron deficiency, and anemia can all falsely elevate A1C. Recent illness, stress, and recent heavy exercise can temporarily spike your cholesterol. No test/measurement is perfect. They all have their limits. One test isn't going to give you a full picture of someone's health. That doesn't mean you throw them out or that they're bad metrics.