BMI Is Out & Body Comp Is In (Finally)

What This Means For Midlife Women

TL;DR

Earlier this year, the world’s leading obesity experts – via a major international commission – made the official recommendation to shift focus away from BMI and weight – and toward metrics far more reflective of health: body composition, fat distribution, and metabolic health. This long-overdue change has major implications for midlife women, whose health may be at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, fatty liver, and even dementia, due to low muscle mass and excess visceral fat. Because body composition and fat distribution shifts may not move the scale, a critical window of opportunity for disease prevention could be overlooked without a deeper assessment. The new guidelines recommend considering waist circumference, lean mass, grip strength, and metabolic biomarkers (blood pressure, LDL cholesterol / ApoB, insulin sensitivity) instead of relying on BMI alone. For midlife women, this opens the door to earlier, more personalized care and better long-term health.