Obesity, long determined by the flawed metric of BMI, should be diagnosed based on other measurements, experts argue.

Our reframing acknowledges the nuanced reality of obesity and allows for personalized care,” said Dr. Francesco Rubino of King’s College London.

A group of global experts is proposing a new way to define and diagnose obesity, reducing the emphasis on the controversial body mass index and hoping to better identify people who need treatment for the disease caused by excess body fat.

Medical experts have urged a shift away from the Body Mass Index (BMI) as the main yardstick to determine obesity as it does not factor in body fat levels. The prevalent method is so flawed that it may have likely led to fit athletes being told they are overweight,

BMI is an outdated measure of health, say experts – there’s a raft of new checks that could give a clue to your current wellbeing – and a pathway to an active, longer life

BMI is used to classify individuals as underweight, healthy weight, overweight, or obese based on their height and weight. It is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by health in meters squared.