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Body mass index as a measure of body fatness: age- and sex-specific prediction formulas

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Paul Deurenberg ,
Jan A. Weststrate  and
Jaap C. Seidell
Paul Deurenberg
Affiliation:
Department of Human Nutrition, Agricultural University Wageningen, Bomenweg 2, 6703 HD, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Jan A. Weststrate
Affiliation:
Department of Human Nutrition, Agricultural University Wageningen, Bomenweg 2, 6703 HD, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Jaap C. Seidell
Affiliation:
Department of Human Nutrition, Agricultural University Wageningen, Bomenweg 2, 6703 HD, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Abstract

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In 1229 subjects, 521 males and 708 females, with a wide range in body mass index (BMI; 13.9–40.9 kg/m2), and an age range of 7–83 years, body composition was determined by densitometry and anthropometry. The relationship between densitometrically-determined body fat percentage (BF%) and BMI, taking age and sex (males =1, females = 0) into account, was analysed. For children aged 15 years and younger, the relationship differed from that in adults, due to the height-related increase in BMI in children. In children the BF% could be predicted by the formula BF% = 1.51xBMI–0.70xage–3.6xsex+1.4 (R2 0.38, SE of estimate (see) 4.4% BF%). In adults the prediction formula was: BF% = 1.20xBMI+0.23xage−10.8xsex–5.4 (R2 0.79, see = 4.1% BF%). Internal and external cross-validation of the prediction formulas showed that they gave valid estimates of body fat in males and females at all ages. In obese subjects however, the prediction formulas slightly overestimated the BF%. The prediction error is comparable to the prediction error obtained with other methods of estimating BF%, such as skinfold thickness measurements or bioelectrical impedance.

Keywords

Body compositionBody mass indexObesity
Type
Body Composition
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 65 , Issue 2 , March 1991 , pp. 105 - 114
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1991

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