Yazen and Withings Health Solutions announce new partnership – moving beyond BMI for more accurate health measurements

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LUND and ISSY-LES-MOULINEAUX, March 4, 2025 – Yazen, a leader in obesity treatment, is partnering with Withings Health Solutions, a leader in digital health technology. Together, they are taking a step away from the limitations of BMI and offering a more nuanced approach to health assessment through modern technology. With Withings' advanced scales, Yazen patients will have access to detailed body composition analyses that measure far more than just weight – a crucial advancement in the treatment of obesity and metabolic diseases.

Body Mass Index (BMI) has long been used as a simple tool for assessing excess weight and obesity. It also remains a key parameter in guidelines for medical obesity treatment. However, BMI has significant limitations, as it does not account for crucial factors such as muscle mass, fat distribution, or an individual’s overall body composition.

The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology Commission suggests that the traditional method of diagnosing obesity based solely on body mass index (BMI) is insufficient. They recommend a new approach that emphasizes assessing body fat and objective health signs and symptoms. Additionally, they introduce two new obesity categories: preclinical and clinical obesity.

"BMI is a blunt instrument for assessing health. A person with significant muscle mass may have a high BMI and be classified as overweight, while someone with a normal BMI could have dangerously high levels of visceral fat, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes," says Martin Carlsson, chief medical officer at Yazen.

Technology that provides better insights
Through the partnership with Withings Health Solutions, Yazen can now offer patients a more comprehensive view of their health. The Body Pro 2 scale measures not just weight but also body fat percentage, muscle mass, bone mass, and, most importantly, visceral fat – the fat stored around internal organs, which is strongly linked to metabolic diseases.

Body Pro 2 utilizes cellular connectivity, ensuring a frictionless experience for patients and an automatic synchronization with the Yazen app. This makes it easier for both patients and healthcare teams to monitor progress and adjust treatment based on the patient’s actual body composition, rather than relying solely on BMI.

“Withings cellular body composition scale empowers Yazen to move beyond BMI and unlock a more personalized approach to obesity and weight-loss treatments. We are excited to see how this partnership transforms patients’ lives.” says Antoine Robiliard, VP Withings Health Solutions. “Yazen's dedication to providing complete, detailed health data to their patients aligns with our commitment to empowering patients with actionable data, fostering informed decisions, and ultimately enhancing health outcomes.”

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A more precise framework for assessing obesity opening a new era in obesity care

Based on The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology Commission, Withings conducted an analysis of data from 3.4 million anonymized Withings users. This groundbreaking analysis also revealed:

• More than a third (38.4%) of people classified as “overweight” under BMI guidelines have unhealthy fat and should receive further screenings for organ dysfunction and metabolic disease;
• 2% of people with a “normal” BMI have high  body fat percentages, exposing hidden metabolic risks;
• 6% of those classified as “obese” based on BMI exhibit low health risks when assessed through body composition analysis and would not be considered obese under the new guidelines.

By shifting the clinical focus to fat distribution and vascular fat, healthcare professionals can significantly improve diagnostic accuracy, reduce treatment disparities and correct for sex- and ethnicity-based biases. Utilizing home-based connected devices, such as Withings' body composition scales, empowers both physicians and users to tailor treatments and health behaviors effectively.

"We expect to see a large shift in the weight loss and healthcare industries,” said Antoine Robiliard, vice president of Withings Health Solutions. “Leveraging body composition will soon be the new standard in the healthcare industry, to ensure safer weight loss. Withings remains committed to equipping both healthcare professionals and individuals with the technology they need to make more informed, data-driven health decisions.”

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Yazen is committed to changing the perception of obesity and driving the development of more evidence-based, individualized treatments. The partnership with Withings represents a step in that direction – providing patients with tools and insights that help them make informed decisions about their health.

"Obesity is a chronic disease that requires more than quick fixes. With advanced technology and a broader perspective on health, we can create better and more sustainable results for our patients," concludes Martin Carlsson.

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Today, March 4th at 12:00 CET, Martin Carlsson and Antoine Robiliard are hosting a webinar on the theme “Beyond BMI” – read more and sign up here:
https://www.yazen.com/se/nyheter/webbinarium-pa-world-obesity-day—rethinking-health-beyond-bmi

For more information, please contact:

Fredrik Pallin, VP Public Relations, Yazen
📧 fredrik.pallin@yazen.com
📞 +46 708-114 115
🌍 www.yazen.se

About Yazen

Yazen is a leading provider of obesity treatment, combining modern medicine with personalised lifestyle changes. With the support of doctors, health coaches, nutritionists, and psychologists, Yazen helps patients achieve sustainable results and improve their long-term health.

About Withings and Withings Health Solutions

Withings created the first smart scale in 2009 and has been the pioneer in connected health ever since. Its clinically validated and multi-award-winning products are used by millions worldwide and include smart scales, hybrid watches, blood pressure monitors, sleep analyzers and more.

Withings Health Solutions is a dedicated division of global connected health leader Withings, serving healthcare professionals across chronic disease prevention and management, remote patient monitoring, clinical research and more. Its mission is to bridge the gap between patients and their care teams by continuously and effortlessly providing healthcare professionals with medical-grade data generated by patients from an ecosystem of connected devices. For more than a decade, Withings has built an expertise in user experience, engagement and retention. Withings Health Solutions extends this expertise to the healthcare industry to remove friction in the patient's journey and allow for digital health to expand. For more information, visit www.withingshealthsolutions.com.

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