Goodbye BMI

Using BMI to measure metabolic health is so 2024. On Jan 14, 2025, The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology published its Commission on the definition and diagnostic criteria of clinical obesity. The results confirm what practitioners have known for years: BMI is not a great tool for managing obesity.

Recent developments in healthcare have brought to light the significant limitations of Body Mass Index (BMI) as a sole indicator of obesity and overall health. BMI, calculated by dividing a person’s weight by the square of their height, fails to account for key factors such as muscle mass, bone density, and fat distribution. This can result in inaccurate classifications, where individuals with high muscle mass are labeled as overweight or obese, while those with a normal BMI may still harbor unhealthy levels of body fat.

Recognizing these shortcomings, the experts in the Commission are advocating for more comprehensive methods to assess body composition. Advanced technologies now enable precise measurements of body fat percentage, muscle mass, and other critical metrics such as waist circumference, providing a more accurate and nuanced understanding of an individual's health. For further details, see the recent coverage in The New York Times on the evolving definition of obesity: NYT Article.

Prism Labs is leading this innovation with its AI-powered 3D body mapping technology, accessible through a smartphone camera. Our solution generates a detailed 3D avatar of the user, allowing for accurate tracking of body composition changes over time, and leading weight loss companies like Noom have already integrated this technology into their mobile applications. This enables users to monitor essential health metrics such as body fat percentage, muscle mass, and waist-to-hip ratio by simply recording a short video, empowering them to make informed decisions about their health and wellness.

Make 2025 the year you ditch BMI.