Original article
Use of relative weight and body mass index for the determination of adiposity

https://doi.org/10.1016/0895-4356(91)90218-XGet rights and content

Abstract

Relative weight and Body Mass Index (BMI) are commonly used as measures of body fatness in epidemiologic and clinical studies. In order to determine their accuracy, they were compared to body fat measured by underwater weighing and total body water determination in 29 males and 75 females who varied widely in body composition. Relative weights calculated from the Metropolitan Life Insurance Tables correlated so highly with BMI that these measures can be considered to be identical (R2 = 0.992 to 0.999). Linear regression analysis showed a significant correlation between BMI and percentage body fat in men (R2 = 0.68, %fat = 0.99 x BMI -1.32 p < 0.001) and women (R2 = 0.74, %fat = 0.94 x BMI + 10.77, p < 0.001). We conclude that relative weight and BMI are nearly identical, and that they are reasonable estimates of body fatness.

References (40)

  • A.R. Frisancho et al.

    Relative merits of old and new indices of body mass with reference to skinfold thickness

    Am J Clin Nutr

    (1982)
  • S.M. Garn et al.

    Comparison of the Benn index and other body mass indices in nutritional assessment

    Am J Clin Nutr

    (1982)
  • G.R. Meneely et al.

    A simplified closed circuit helium dilution method for the determination of the residual volume of the lungs

    Am J Med

    (1960)
  • D.S. Gray

    Changes in bioelectrical impedance during fasting

    Am J Ctin Nutr

    (1988)
  • G.A. Bray et al.

    Obesity. Part 1-pathogenesis.

    West J Med

    (1988)
  • C.D.V. Florey

    The use and interpretation of ponderal index and other weight-height ratios in epidemiological studies

    J Chron Dis

    (1970)
  • R.T. Benn

    Some mathematical properties of weightfor-height indices used as measures of adiposity

    Br J Prev Soc Med

    (1971)
  • J. Lee et al.

    The use of inappropriate weight-height derived index of obesity can produce misleading weight-height derived index of obesity can produce misleading results

    Int J Obesity

    (1982)
  • U. Goldbourt et al.

    Weight-height indices. Choice of the most suitable index and its association with selected variables among 10,000 males of heterogeneous origin

    Br J Prev Sue Med

    (1974)
  • H.M. Frankel

    Determination of body mass index

    JAMA

    (1986)

    • Cited by (0)

    View full text
    Copyright © 1991 Published by Elsevier Inc.