Researchers have put forward an alternative to body mass index, the long-standing measure used to diagnose obesity, arguing that the current tool misclassifies large numbers of people. The proposal, discussed on a recent episode of the Guardian science podcast hosted by Madeleine Finlay with Ian Sample, suggests that a different approach could prevent millions of people from receiving an inaccurate diagnosis.
BMI is calculated from a person's height and weight alone, which means it cannot distinguish between muscle and fat or account for where body fat is stored. That limitation has long drawn criticism from clinicians and researchers who say the figure can overstate risk for some people and understate it for others. The episode presented the new alternative as a way to address those gaps, though the discussion focused on the proposal itself rather than settled clinical practice.
The same episode covered a study on how to hold better conversations, which points to a concept borrowed from physics. The scientists involved describe a pattern known as pink noise as a possible key to more engaging exchanges between people. The claim comes directly from the researchers, and the episode presented it as one of three weekly science stories rather than an established finding.
The podcast also included an update from the Cop31 climate summit in Turkey, where dozens of leaders have gathered. Hilda Heine, president of the Marshall Islands, warned that flooding in her country is getting worse and said that overshooting the 1.5C warming limit would threaten low-lying shores and infrastructure. The UN chief, meanwhile, called for a windfall tax on oil and gas companies, a proposal that the summit is expected to weigh as leaders debate how to finance climate action.
Credit. Based on reporting by Madeleine Finlay, Ian Sample, Joshan Chana and Joel Cox for The Guardian. Is this your work? Write to us.
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