Health · Medical Research · 1 hr ago
New childhood obesity definition focuses on health effects, not BMI alone
An international panel has proposed a new way to diagnose obesity that looks beyond body mass index, or BMI, which compares weight with height.
Under the definition, excess body fat must also cause health problems or limit daily activities to count as clinical obesity.
Researchers at Australia's Murdoch Children's Research Institute applied the definition to data on nearly 800,000 people across their lifespans.
They found 2.1% to 4.9% of children and adolescents qualified, compared with 7% to 10.8% using standard BMI calculations.
In adults aged 65 to 74, clinical obesity reached 52% as health problems linked to excess body fat became more common.
The approach reflects how many pediatricians already assess blood pressure, blood sugar, sleep and mobility, rather than relying only on a child's size.
More research is needed, including to understand how weight-loss medicines may affect the findings, because the data predated the growing use of GLP-1 drugs.
A new global definition of childhood obesity requires evidence of excess body fat and related health problems or limits on daily activities.
The definition shifts attention from BMI alone to the effects of body fat on health.
Research from the Murdoch Children's Research Institute found that 2.1% to 4.9% of children and adolescents met the revised definition, compared with 7% to 10.8% under standard BMI calculations.
The definition was developed by an international panel of medical experts convened by The Lancet.
Researchers analyzed nearly 800,000 people across their lifespans and found clinical obesity rates rose with age, reaching 52% among adults aged 65 to 74.
- Who
- An international panel of medical experts developed the definition; researchers at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute studied its application.
- What
- A new definition identifies clinical obesity through excess body fat plus related health problems or limits on daily activities.
- When
- The research was reported on October 13, 2026.
- Where
- The study was conducted by the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Australia; the definition was developed by an international panel.
- Why
- The definition aims to assess how body fat affects health rather than relying on BMI alone.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Researchers analyzed nearly 800,000 individuals across their lifespans.
Fox News reported on the new definition and the research findings.
- Children and adolescents under revised definition
- 2.1% to 4.9% qualify as clinically obese
- Children and adolescents under standard BMI calculations
- 7% to 10.8% qualify as obese
- Definition criteria
- Excess body fat plus related health problems or limits on daily activities
- Study size
- Nearly 800,000 individuals
- Clinical obesity among adults aged 65 to 74
- 52%
What people are saying
BMI is really just measuring size. So it doesn't really have a way of capturing whether somebody is well or unwell.
I think this definition just really clarifies what people have been doing in actual clinical practice
This is really just the start of understanding what this new diagnostic entity means, and we really need more research
Sources
Related news
Pope Leo has surgery scheduled to remove a lung nodule
GLP-1 drugs did not significantly change injection frequency for diabetic eye disease
Large study finds abrupt shifts in health markers at menopause
Diabetes affects 7.5% of adults in Italy, with cases rising over 20 years
Study finds existing food preferences can hinder learning new associations
One brain-training session briefly improved mood in a small depression trial
Review finds insufficient evidence for medicinal cannabis to treat insomnia
Study links early-onset Alzheimer’s to health problems before diagnosis
Nipocalimab Benefits Sustained for Two Years in Teens With Myasthenia Gravis
A transfer RNA may help restore drug sensitivity in prostate cancer
Small study links carrot juice to changes in colon polyp tissue
