The need to redefine age- and gender-specific overweight and obese body mass index cutoff points.
Abstract
For convenience, health practitioners and clinicians are inclined to classify people/patients as overweight or obese based on body mass index (BMI) cutoff points of 25 and 30 kg m(-2) respectively, irrespective of age and gender. The purpose of the current study was to identity whether, for the same levels of adiposity, BMI is the same across different age groups and gender. A two-way ANCOVA revealed significant differences in BMI between different age groups and gender (plus an interaction), using body fat (%) as the covariate, data taken from a random sample of the English population (n=2993). Younger people had greater BMI than older people for the same levels of adiposity (differences ranged by 4 BMI units for males, and 3 BMI units for females). In conclusion, if BMI thresholds for overweight (BMI=25 kg m(-2)) and obese (BMI=30 kg m(-2)) are to reflect the same levels of adiposity across all gender and age groups within a population, then age- and gender-specific BMI adjustments outlined here are necessary to more accurately/fairly reflect the same critical levels of adiposity.Citation
Nevill, A., & Metsios, G.S. (2015). The need to redefine age- and gender-specific overweight and obese body mass index cutoff points. Nutrition & Diabetes, 5 (11), pp 186-197. doi: 10.1038/nutd.2015.36Publisher
Nature Publishing GoupJournal
Nutrition & diabetesPubMed ID
26619370Additional Links
https://www.nature.com/articles/nutd201536Type
Journal articleLanguage
enISSN
2044-4052ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1038/nutd.2015.36
Scopus Count
Collections
Related articles
- Relationship of leptin concentration to gender, body mass index and age in Saudi adults.
- Authors: Al-Harithy RN
- Issue date: 2004 Aug
- Correlation and discrepancies between obesity by body mass index and body fat in patients with coronary heart disease.
- Authors: De Schutter A, Lavie CJ, Arce K, Menendez SG, Milani RV
- Issue date: 2013 Mar-Apr
- [The association between body mass index, waist circumference with body fat percent, and abdominal fat rate in overweight and obese pupils].
- Authors: Wang JJ, Wang HJ, Liu JS, Ma J
- Issue date: 2013 Jul
- The influence of body mass index, age and gender on current illness: a cross-sectional study.
- Authors: Jarrett B, Bloch GJ, Bennett D, Bleazard B, Hedges D
- Issue date: 2010 Mar
- Relationship between BMI, physical fitness, and motor skills in youth with mild intellectual disabilities.
- Authors: Frey GC, Chow B
- Issue date: 2006 May