Pennington Biomedical Leads the Way in Redefining Obesity Diagnosis Beyond BMI

May 22, 2025 · Baton Rouge, LA

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Pennington Biomedical Research Center, a leader in obesity research and treatment, recently played a pivotal role in reshaping how clinical obesity is understood. Three of its researchers served on the prestigious Lancet Commission on Clinical Obesity, a global initiative comprising 56 experts worldwide.

Executive Director and George A. Bray Jr. Endowed Super Chair in Nutrition Dr. John Kirwan; LSU Boyd Professor and Douglas L. Gordon Chair in Diabetes and Metabolism Dr. Eric Ravussin; and Director of the Metamor Institute and United Companies Life Insurance Co. and Mary Kay and Terrell Brown Chair Professor Dr. Philip Schauer—all esteemed Pennington Biomedical faculty—contributed significantly to the commission’s discussions. Their expertise was crucial in addressing the ongoing debate surrounding obesity as a disease and the limitations of current diagnostic methods.

The commission tackled the issue of misclassification and misdiagnosis inherent in defining obesity solely by Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI, while widely used, doesn’t directly measure body fat or its distribution, leading to inaccuracies.

Pennington Biomedical, the most represented institution on the commission, has a long-standing history of groundbreaking research into the causes and treatments of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia. They are also pioneers in bariatric and metabolic surgery, developing innovative approaches for patients with extreme obesity.

“We are honored and excited to be part of this global consensus—defining and diagnosing clinical obesity,” Dr. Kirwan says. “Pennington Biomedical has been a leader in obesity research for decades now. We’ve been involved in the development of most of the current obesity behavioral and treatment programs, and we continue to research new approaches.”

The commission’s work resulted in a recommendation for a more nuanced diagnostic approach. This new method incorporates body fat measurements alongside BMI. Furthermore, the commission established 18 specific diagnostic criteria for clinical obesity in adults and 13 for children and adolescents, including factors like breathlessness and joint pain.

“Finally, we have efficacious and safe pharmacological approaches to obesity, which has not been the case in the history of the treatment of obesity,” says Dr. Ravussin. “I think that it was important to have new definitions, as well as new diagnoses, to make it easier for clinicians to treat people with obesity.”

A major takeaway from the commission are new diagnostic categories and tailored strategies for both clinical obesity and pre-clinical obesity. This redefined framework ensures that individuals with obesity receive appropriate health guidance and evidence-based care based on objective measures of illness at the individual level.

“We have all these great tools now,” adds Dr. Schauer. “We have much more precise, accurate, clinically relevant diagnoses, so now, nothing should hold us back from an international perspective, to really hone in on this disease and provide those who need it the most with the tools to improve their lives—and for many of them to extend their lives.”

Originally appeared in Baton Rouge Business Report