Enlarge (credit: Getty | Thierry Monasse )

Body mass index has for decades been used as a shorthand for assessing body fat and weight-related health risks. But for about just as long, critics have noted the simple calculation is laden with problems; BMI doesn’t actually measure fat mass, account for its distribution, or how those differ by age, gender, ethnicity, race, and how those differences affect health risks. Calculations and cutoffs are largely based on past generations of non-Hispanic white people. And BMI classifications mislead people on their individual risks of disease and death, and can lead to substandard care for eating disorders.

Now, it seems the hefty criticism has finally reached a critical mass. During the annual meeting of the American Medical Association (AMA) this week in Chicago, physicians and medical students voted to adopt a strongly worded policy acknowledging the calculation's "significant limitations" and "historical harms," including "racist exclusion." While the massive medical group acknowledged that BMI remains useful for population-level trends and associations, the policy called for doctors to become familiar with the calculation's problems and explore alternative measurements for diagnosing obesity and assessing health risks.

"There are numerous concerns with the way BMI has been used to measure body fat and diagnose obesity, yet some physicians find it to be a helpful measure in certain scenarios," AMA Immediate Past President Jack Resneck, Jr., said in a statement .  "It is important for physicians to understand the benefits and limitations of using BMI in clinical settings to determine the best care for their patients."

Enlarge / A woman watches white flags on the National Mall on September 18, 2021, in Washington, DC. Over 660,000 white flags were installed here to honor Americans who have lost their lives to COVID-19. (credit: Getty | Chen Mengtong )

Americans spend an exorbitant amount of money on health care and have for years. As a country, the US spends more on health care than any other high-income country in the world—on the basis of both per-person costs and a share of gross domestic product. Yet, you wouldn't know it from looking at major health metrics in years past; the US has relatively abysmal health. And, if anything, the COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated the US health care system's failures relative to its peers, according to a new analysis by the Commonwealth Fund .

Health care spending of high income-countries by share of GDP. (credit: The Commonwealth Fund )

Compared with other high-income peers, the US has the shortest life expectancy at birth, the highest rate of avoidable deaths, the highest rate of newborn deaths, the highest rate of maternal deaths, the highest rate of adults with multiple chronic conditions, and the highest rate of obesity, the new analysis found.

"Americans are living shorter, less healthy lives because our health system is not working as well as it could be," Munira Gunja, lead author of the analysis and a senior researcher for The Commonwealth Fund’s International Program in Health Policy and Practice Innovation, said in a press statement. "To catch up with other high-income countries, the administration and Congress would have to expand access to health care, act aggressively to control costs, and invest in health equity and social services we know can lead to a healthier population."

Enlarge (credit: Getty | BSIP )

Children as young as 12 with obesity should now consider taking weight loss drugs, and those as young as 13 with severe obesity should consider metabolic or bariatric surgery, according to aggressive new guidelines released Monday by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The new guidance marks the first time the AAP has recommended weight loss drugs for childhood obesity . Overall, the medical group is urging immediate, intensive action to get ahead of childhood obesity and overweight before the complex conditions lead to long-term health problems, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

“There is no evidence that ‘watchful waiting’ or delayed treatment is appropriate for children with obesity,” said Sandra Hassink, an author of the guideline and vice chair of the AAP's Clinical Practice Guideline Subcommittee on Obesity, said in a statement. "The goal is to help patients make changes in lifestyle, behaviors, or environment in a way that is sustainable and involves families in decision-making at every step of the way."

Enlarge / Woman on a kg weight scale (credit: Getty | BSIP )

A repurposed Type 2 diabetes drug helped teens with obesity lose a significant amount of body weight,  lowered their risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and improved their weight-related quality of life over a 68-week clinical trial, researchers reported this week in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The drug is semaglutide (brand name Wegovy), which was first approved to treat Type 2 diabetes in 2017, but has since also proven useful for weight loss in adults who are obese or overweight . The drug works by mimicking a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that targets areas of the brain that regulate appetite and food intake, the Food and Drug Administration explained while approving its use for weight loss in adults.

The new data suggests that it may also substantially help teens struggling with obesity and overweight issues improve their health and outlook as they head into adulthood. One in five children and teens in the US has obesity, which can set children up for serious health conditions, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, breathing problems, and joint problems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.