Alarmed by reports that India will become the global diabetes capital by 2050, the Health Ministry has reduced the diagnostic cut-offs for body mass index (BMI) to 23 kg/m2 and the standard waist circumference to fight the battle against obesity. The standards have been set for the first time in the Ministry's consensus guidelines for Prevention and Management of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome for the country, released on Tuesday. The BMI—considered the individual's fitness and obesity indicator—is the ratio of the body weight in kg versus height in m2. The country's new diagnostic cut-off for the body mass index is 23 kg/m2 as opposed to 25 kg/m2 globally. The guidelines were released jointly by the Health Ministry, the Diabetes Foundation of India, the All-India Institute of Medical Science (Aiims), Indian Council of Medical Research, the National Institute of Nutrition and 20 other health organisations. A person with a body mass index of 23 kg/m2 will now be considered o