title: A proposed method for the evaluation of body fat in Japanese adults that predicts obesity.
abstract: The present study was designed to develop a simple predictive equation for the percent body fat (%BF) in Japanese adults based on variables collected during health examinations. We hypothesized that a benchmark for defining metabolic syndrome and obesity could be based on %BF, which was measured by underwater weighing (UW) as a gold standard for body composition assessment. Thus, we developed a predictive equation for %BF derived from UW that may contribute to the assessment of obesity status, characterized by an excess accumulation of visceral or subcutaneous fat. The subjects were 810 Japanese participants (283 men, 527 women, ages 18-59 years). Anthropometric variables, including height, weight, 7 circumferences, and 8 skinfold thicknesses, were measured. The developed predictive equation was as follows: %BF = 10.558 × sex (1 for men; 2 for women) + 0.069 × age + 0.667 × body mass index + 0.314 × abdominal circumference - 35.881.The coefficient of determination (r(2)) was 0.69. The predicted %BF derived from this equation was highly correlated with UW-measured values and did not show underestimation or overestimation in either sex. These data suggested that this predictive equation for %BF can be used for all Japanese adults and does not require the use of medical equipment and special measurement techniques. By combining the equation for %BF developed in this study with a %BF cutoff value of metabolic syndrome and obesity (>25.0% in men and >30.0% in women), all Japanese adults can easily and conveniently assess obesity status.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Human Health Sciences, University of Nagasaki, Siebold, Nagayo-cho, Nishi-Sonogi-gun, Nagasaki 8512195, Japan. k-minematsu@mxc.cncm.ne.jp
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Minematsu
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takamura
authors.forename: Kensuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Sumihisa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aoyagi
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moji
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsunawake
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods*; D044466:Asian People; D001823:Body Composition; D050218:Body Fat Distribution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011897:Random Allocation; D012885:Skinfold Thickness; D055815:Young Adult