The Body Pro 2 from Withings Health Solutions helps to better analyze obesity criteria, according to the company. The scale leverages a different equation to reach the body composition assessment to more accurately reflect a user’s physical condition. The company’s analysis found 38.2% of consumers classified as overweight or obese under traditional Body Mass Index (BMI) definitions would no longer carry that diagnosis with its newly proposed criteria. The study aimed to validate recently published criteria for obesity disease diagnosis in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

“Relying solely on BMI oversimplifies health assessments, leading to misjudgments, treatment disparities, and weight-related stigma,” stated Aline Criton, chief clinical and regulatory affairs officer at Withings. “Our findings highlight the significant impact of adopting a more reliable definition of obesity. With this new definition, over a third of our users would be reclassified, profoundly influencing clinical and lifestyle decisions.”

The analysis also revealed:

• More than a third (38.4%) of people classified as “overweight” under BMI guidelines have unhealthy fat and should receive further screenings for organ dysfunction and metabolic disease
• 2% of people with a “normal” BMI have high body fat percentages, exposing hidden metabolic risks
• 6% of those classified as “obese” based on BMI exhibit low health risks when assessed through body composition analysis and would not be considered obese under the new guidelines

“We expect to see a large shift in the weight loss and healthcare industries,” said Antoine Robiliard, vice president of Withings Health Solutions. “Leveraging body composition will soon be the new standard in the healthcare industry, particularly in GLP-1 medication-based programs, to ensure safer weight loss. Withings remains committed to equipping both healthcare professionals and individuals with the technology they need to make more informed, data-driven health decisions.”

The organization also announced it was partnering with Yazen, a provider of obesity treatment, in its effort to move away from the BMI measurement. Through the partnership with Withings, Yazen will offer patients a more comprehensive view of their health through the Body Pro 2 scale, which measures weight, body fat percentage, muscle mass, bone mass, and visceral fat—the fat stored around internal organs and strongly linked to metabolic diseases.