Doctors urged to look at more than just BMI as a health measure

(CNN, KYMA/KECY) - Most doctors in the U.S. screen for obesity by using a measure called body mass index or BMI.

A BMI over 25 is overweight and a BMI of 30 or above is considered obese.

But recently, there's been a shift away from BMI as the only measure of individual health risk.

And last week, the American Medical Association adopted a new policy on the body mass index, it acknowledges significant limitations such as, BMI doesn't differentiate between lean and fat body mass.

And it doesn't account for differences between racial and ethnic groups, gender and age.

The AMA suggests other measurements of health risk be used along with BMI.

Like waist circumference, measurements of visceral fat, body composition and genetic and metabolic factors.