A new report published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology challenges the conventional definition of obesity, and urges a shift from the reliance on Body Mass Index (BMI) to a more nuanced approach. This is supported by over 50 global medical experts. The report also recommends splitting the term "obesity" into two categories: "Clinical obesity" and "Pre-clinical obesity". This aims to improve diagnosis and treatment for over a billion people worldwide living with obesity.

Clinically Obese

This applies to individuals whose obesity has progressed to a disease state, manifesting in organ damage, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, or other health complications. These individuals could also experience symptoms like breathlessness, joint pain, or impaired daily functioning. Treatment also involves medical interventions, including weight-loss medications or surgery.

Pre-Clinic Obese

Whereas the term "pre-clinic obese" refers to those who are overweight but not yet exhibiting health issues. While they may be at risk of developing obesity-related conditions, their organ function and overall health remain intact. What they need is preventive care, which includes dietary guidance, counselling, and regular monitoring to avoid and reduce future health risks.

What does the study say?

The study, led by Professor Francesco Rubino from King's College London emphasizes that obesity is not one-size-fits-all condition. This means it should rather be treated as a spectrum as some individuals maintain normal organ function despite being classified as obese. There are others who may face severe health complications too. However, the current method of calculating obesity based on BMI often leads to misdiagnosis or inadequate care.

The report also states that BMI, while is useful for analyzing population trends, is a flawed unit of measuring individual health. Therefore, there is a need to redefine obesity, and healthcare professionals can provide more precise care by distinguishing those who need immediate medical intervention and those who require preventive strategies.

Limitations of BMI, Why It Falls Short?

BMI is used to classify individuals as underweight, healthy weight, overweight, or obese based on their height and weight. It is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by health in meters squared. However, there are reasons while it falls short.

•Muscle vs Fat: Athletes or muscular individuals often have high BMIs despite the low body fat

•Fat Distribution: BMI does not measure fat around the waist or organs, which could be more dangerous to one's health.

•Individual Health Variation: It also overlooks the specific health conditions such as heart diseases or diabetes, or any other, while evaluating a person's category in terms of weight.

ALSO READ: Is It Time To Say Goodbye To BMI?

Scope Of Study

By redefining obesity, the study could transform the approach to diagnosis and treatment. It can focus on individual health risks rather than BMI alone. Healthcare providers can also offer tailored care. This also will ensure hat weight-loss medications like Wegovy or Mounjaro are prescribed only to those who genuinely require it.

As per Professor Louise Baur from the University of Sydney, a Children's obesity expert said that this redefinition allows both adults and children to receive more appropriate care while reducing over-diagnosis and unnecessary treatments.

Doctors in India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu surgically removed a fully developed canine tooth from the upper eyelid region of a 16-year-old boy. They described the case as the first reported instance of an ectopic tooth in the upper part of the eye socket.

The case was reported by specialists at Aravind Eye Hospital in Madurai in the journal Ophthalmology.

What Did The Doctors Find?

The teenager visited the hospital with painless swelling of his left upper eyelid that had lasted a month. He had no history of injury to the area.

During the examination, doctors noticed two firm, whitish projections beneath the swollen area near the inner side of the upper eyelid, the experts shared in the paper.

A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a dense structure resembling a tooth, with a crown and root, originating from the roof of the left eye socket. It extended towards the tissues in front of the orbital septum, a thin barrier separating the eyelid from the deeper eye socket, and protruded outwards with two tooth-like points on its surface.

The projections' appearance and texture raised the possibility that they were teeth. Dr. Meghana Tanwar, a medical consultant at Aravind Eye Hospital, told Live Science that they had a “fairly smooth surface and were hard on palpation.”

The doctors surgically removed the structure. Examination confirmed that it was a mature canine tooth without teratomatous elements, consistent with an ectopic tooth in the upper part of the eye socket.

Also read: Hours Of Sitting, Gaming And Binge-Watching OTT? Doctors Warn Of Blood Clot Risk In Young People

What Is An Ectopic Tooth?

An ectopic tooth develops or emerges in an abnormal location. Some remain within the mouth but appear outside their usual positions in the dental arch, while others develop outside the normal arrangement of teeth.

The latter is particularly unusual. In this teenager's case, the tooth was located in the upper orbital region rather than within the normal dental arch.

Before confirming the diagnosis, doctors considered whether the projections could be associated with a teratoma, a type of tumor that can contain different tissues, including bone and tooth tissue. They also considered whether a foreign object might be lodged in the eyelid.

Imaging and examination of the removed structure helped establish that it was a mature tooth rather than tissue associated with a teratoma.

Why Is This Case Unusual?

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Ectopic teeth have been documented in several locations, including the nasal cavity, chin and maxillary sinus, an air-filled cavity within the cheekbone. Previous reports have also described teeth in the lower part of the eye socket.

However, the doctors said they could not find an earlier report of an ectopic tooth in the superior orbit, the upper region of the eye socket.

“To the best of our knowledge this is the first and only ectopic tooth reported in the superior orbit,” Tanwar told Live Science.

“This was a first not just for us but the world over,” she said of the case. “We were very surprised by it.”

What Causes Ectopic Teeth?

READ: Non-Healing Mouth Sores? This Silent Symptom Could Signal Oral Cancer, Warn Doctors

The doctors could not determine why the tooth developed in this unusual location.

Possible explanations for ectopic tooth development include abnormalities during development, genetic factors, infections and physical trauma. However, the cause in this case remains unknown.

Imaging did not reveal any additional ectopic teeth. Tanwar said the likelihood of the teenager developing another such tooth was low.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the cancers doctors find particularly difficult to detect early. The pancreas lies deep inside the abdomen, and early disease may cause few or vague symptoms. By the time symptoms such as jaundice, unexplained weight loss, abdominal or back pain or persistent digestive problems become apparent, the disease may already be advanced.

What Is PANXEON, The New Liquid Biopsy?

This is why the findings of a new international study on PANXEON, an investigational liquid biopsy, are attracting attention. Published in Nature Medicine, the study evaluated 1,785 people across four countries and explored whether a blood sample could identify early pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the most common form of pancreatic cancer.

The principle behind the test is relatively simple. Cancer cells release molecular material into the bloodstream. PANXEON looks at a group of tiny molecules called microRNAs, including those carried inside microscopic packages called exosomes. These molecules can provide molecular clues about what is happening in the pancreas. The test combines this microRNA signature with CA19-9, a blood marker already used in pancreatic cancer, particularly for monitoring patients, although CA19-9 alone is not suitable as a general screening test.

Also read: Dr Rachna Shroff: Indian-American Cancer Researcher Who Turned Her Diagnosis Into Advocacy

In the study, the microRNA test detected early-stage pancreatic cancer with a sensitivity of 83.8%. When combined with CA19-9, PANXEON reached 86.8% sensitivity for stage I-II disease. Importantly, false-positive rates were 3.2% among low-risk controls and 15.6% among high-risk controls. The researchers also reported that the test showed potential for identifying high-grade dysplasia in people with high-risk pancreatic cysts.

For India, this research is relevant because pancreatic cancer, although less common than several other major cancers, represents a significant clinical challenge. India’s National Cancer Registry Programme estimated about 21,000 pancreatic cancer cases in 2022. Globally, GLOBOCAN estimated more than 510,000 new cases in the same year.

Is PANXEON Ready For Routine Screening?

But there is an important caveat: PANXEON is not yet a routine screening test. There is currently no standard screening test recommended for people at average risk of pancreatic cancer. Screening is generally considered for selected high-risk individuals, such as those with significant family histories or certain inherited genetic risks.

The new findings therefore represent a promising research direction, rather than a test people should independently seek out today. A useful early-detection test must work reliably in much larger, diverse populations and demonstrate that detecting cancer earlier actually improves outcomes.

For patients and doctors, however, the concept is important. Instead of waiting for a tumour to become large enough to produce obvious symptoms or visible changes on imaging, researchers are increasingly asking whether the molecular footprints of cancer can be detected in a simple blood sample. PANXEON is one more step towards answering that question.

I have often heard a familiar bedtime story: “I picked up my phone for five minutes, and suddenly it was 1 a.m.” The person is exhausted, yet continues scrolling through upsetting news, frightening predictions or other people’s lives.

Doomscrolling is not simply a lack of discipline. Our brains are naturally drawn towards possible threats because noticing danger has always supported survival. Each alarming headline tells the nervous system that there may be something important it must understand. The next post promises more information and perhaps a sense of control, so we continue scrolling.

How Stress And Anxiety Fuel Doomscrolling

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For someone already carrying stress or past trauma, uncertainty can feel especially difficult. Scanning for information may become the brain’s way of asking, “Am I safe? Is there something I need to prepare for?” Unfortunately, the answer rarely arrives. Instead, every new story introduces another concern.

Consider someone who goes to bed after a demanding day. Their body is tired, but their mind has had no opportunity to process what happened. They open social media for relief and encounter distressing content. Their heart rate increases, their thoughts become faster and sleep moves further away. The phone may distract them from uncomfortable feelings temporarily, while also keeping their system alert.

Screens can delay sleep by displacing bedtime and exposing us to light, but the emotional content matters too. Anger, fear and comparison create cognitive arousal, the opposite of the slowing down that sleep requires.

Simple Ways To Break The Doomscrolling Cycle

Rather than imposing a harsh digital ban, begin with a realistic boundary.

- Choose a time to stop reading news, charge the phone away from the bed or replace the final 20 minutes of scrolling with something less stimulating.

- Dim the lights, stretch gently, listen to familiar music or write down tomorrow’s worries so the brain does not have to keep rehearsing them.

- If you slip, respond with curiosity rather than criticism: “What was I trying not to feel, or hoping to find?”

When doomscrolling repeatedly disrupts sleep or becomes the main way you manage anxiety, therapy can help explore the need beneath the habit. The aim is not merely to take away the phone, but to help the nervous system discover safer ways to settle.

Sometimes, switching off the screen begins with helping the mind believe that it is safe to stop watching.

By Ms Arouba Kabir, Psychologist, Founder Enso wellness