Weight/Obesity

The PEN Team acknowledges the dichotomizing views of the term 'obesity'. The current landscape of obesity is evolving as evidence emerges from biological/physiological domains and intersects with psychological/social and critical domains. The PEN Team is committed to developing content using best practices from the fields of knowledge translation and evidence-based decision-making. Learn more about the PEN Process here.

the limitations of BMI as a measure of health risk and body composition. Although BMI has been used as a proxy measure for higher weights/obesity in this knowledge pathway for precision of reporting, it is not a direct or diagnostic measure of obesity and should be interpreted with caution. See Additional Content: How should a practitioner screen an adult for the risk of obesity (excess adiposity that negatively affects an individual’s health) and obesity-related health risks?