Focusing solely on achieving weight loss for people with a high body mass index (BMI) may do more harm than good, argue experts in British Medical Journal, reports Medical Xpress.

Dr. Juan Franco and colleagues say, on average, people with high weight will not be able to sustain a clinically relevant weight loss with lifestyle interventions, while the potential harms of weight loss interventions, including the reinforcement of weight stigma, are still unclear.

They stress that a healthy lifestyle has important benefits, but that weight alone might not give an adequate picture of someone's health, and say doctors should provide high-quality, evidence-based care reflecting individual preferences and needs, regardless of weight.

Lifestyle interventions that focus on restricting an individual's energy intake and increasing their physical activity levels have for many decades been the mainstay recommendation to reduce weight in people with obesity, explain the authors.

However, rigorous evidence has indicated that these lifestyle interventions are largely ineffective in providing sustained long-term weight loss and reducing cardiovascular events (e.g., heart attacks and strokes) or death.

Even though a healthy lifestyle provides important benefits, acknowledging that weight alone might not give an adequate picture of someone's health, and recognizing the limitations of lifestyle interventions for weight loss, could pave the way for more effective and patient-centered care, they say.