Body mass index and percentage body fat as health indicators for young adults.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the validity of an axiom that body mass index (BMI) and percentage body fat (%BF), above an ideal, are health risk factors.


METHODS
Participants were 2615 volunteers who participated in a health-screening program conducted in college residence halls over a consecutive 8-year period.


RESULTS
Nearly half of all participants were misclassified when BMI and/or %BF were used to define better versus poorer health whether analyzing all variables together, by individual factor, or by type of variable.


CONCLUSIONS
Results of this study indicate that BMI and %BF are poor indicators of health status among young adults.
Brooks
Yvonne
Y
Brooks Consulting, LLC, Orlando, FL, USA.
Black
David R
DR
Coster
Daniel C
DC
Blue
Carolyn L
CL
Abood
Doris A
DA
Gretebeck
Randal J
RJ
D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*