A planning committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will organize a public workshop series featuring invited presentations and discussions to explore the current science on measures of body composition and body fat distribution, with a focus on the strengths and limitations of body mass index (BMI) as a measure of adiposity and an indicator of health. The workshop series will address how BMI is perceived and used globally across different sectors, ethnic groups, cultures, and across the lifespan. The presentations will also explore the utility of BMI as a measure to assess obesity morbidity and mortality, as well as alternative measures to BMI, and their effects on obesity prevention, treatment, and policy. The workshop series will also address strategies for improving communication about body composition, BMI, adiposity, and health across diverse groups and sectors, including strategies for mitigating misinformation or disinformation practices that lead to weight-related bias and stigma. Finally, the workshop series may also discuss current evidence gaps and potential next steps that advance the field.
The planning committee will organize the workshop series, select and invite speakers and discussants, and moderate the discussions. A proceedings-in-brief of the discussions for each workshop in the series and a proceedings summarizing all presentations will be prepared by a designated rapporteur in accordance with institutional guidelines.