What doctors want you to know about weight and weight loss
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Ozempic warning: Experts warn of side effects from weight loss drug
Experts are warning of the possible side effects of popular diabetes medications such as Ozempic and Mounjaro when used for weight loss.
Weight is an eternally-pressing topic, but conversations around GLP-1s and other weight loss drugs have brought it to the forefront even more.
Body mass index (BMI) is the tool doctors use to calculate whether someone is underweight, at a healthy weight, overweight or obese. But because BMI calculations can't tell the difference between body fat, muscle and bone mass, it's not always the best way to actually tell if a patient is healthy, many medical experts argue.
"We know that muscle weighs more than fat, so their weight may not be a good indicator of how much fat they have in their body," says Dr. Jennifer Brull, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. "Patients who suffer from being overweight or obese can face stigma. Focusing too much on weight rather than taking a more holistic approach can be detrimental to the care of all patients. Addressing these health risks require a customized, sensitive approach from a family physician."
Here's what medical experts want you to know about being overweight and how it relates to your health.
The fastest way to lose weight? Diets, pills and the conversation we need to have
What is considered overweight?
BMI is calculated using a person's weight and height, with the idea that it can show if a person's weight is healthy based on an estimation of their body fat percentage.
"A BMI that is low could mean a person doesn't have enough body fat. A high BMI could mean that they have too much body fat," Brull says, though she notes that "every body is different and BMI isn't one-size-fits-all."
Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), these are the BMI categories for adults 20 and older:
Underweight: BMI is less than 18.5
BMI is less than 18.5 Healthy Weight: 18.5 to less than 25
18.5 to less than 25 Overweight: 25 to less than 30
25 to less than 30 Obesity: 30 or greater Class 1 Obesity: 30 to less than 35 Class 2 Obesity: 35 to less than 40 Class 3 Obesity: 40 or greater
30 or greater
Seen this yet? Travis Kelce, Jake Gyllenhaal and why BMI is problematic. It needs to change, panel says.
How to lose weight
Health experts stress that tactics to lose large amounts of weight quickly are either inaccurate or unsustainable.
"There's not a magical food or drink that can help you lose body fat," dietitian Caroline Thomason previously told USA TODAY. "Unfortunately, the boring basics still work for weight loss: Diet and exercise are the two most important factors you can change to lose weight."
For those looking to lose weight, Thomason recommends starting with the following daily lifestyle tweaks:
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