Instead of using the controversial body mass index, or BMI, to assess weight, an international group of scientists proposes an approach that looks at how excess body fat affects health

In Tuesday's issue of The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, dozens of international medical experts and people with lived experience are proposing a major change to how obesity is diagnosed because they say current medical approaches don't reliably assess an individual's health.

Doctors worldwide should diagnose obesity differently, relying on broader criteria and taking into account when the condition causes ill-health, according to a new framework drawn up by experts and endorsed by 76 medical organizations internationally.