New recommendations on how to define obesity would reduce the emphasis on body mass index and also take into account health problems from extra weight and other measurements

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

Habits like getting adequate exercise, nutrition, and sleep can have profoundly positive effects on overall health whether they affect weight or not, Erlanger says. A recent research review, for example, found that cardiorespiratory fitness is a better predictor of longevity than weight.