BMI no longer perfect for measuring early life weight problems


BMI 'outdated' method for measuring childhood obesity, new study says

Selection strategies will have to be used to measure early life weight problems, in line with researchers, who say Frame Mass Index (BMI) can ‘misidentify and misdiagnose’ the illness.

Printed in Paediatric Analysis, it concluded that the usage of BMI isn’t as helpful in measuring fats in kids as waist-to-height ratio (WHtR).

Weight problems impacts virtually one in 4 kids and teens. It’s related to cardiovascular, metabolic, neurological, musculoskeletal illnesses and in addition untimely loss of life in maturity. 

Assessing greater than 7,200 kids over a 15-year follow-up, it recognized WHtR as an affordable correct measure that discriminates fats mass from lean mass that might change BMI measure of weight problems in paediatrics.

Researchers stated: ‘WHtR is also universally followed as non-invasive and affordable fats mass obese and weight problems surveillance, tracking, and prevention tasks in regimen paediatric healthcare apply, in particular, in low-resource settings the place extra advanced fats mass measures aren’t readily to be had.’

Preferable to BMI

The learn about was once performed by means of the College of Exeter in collaboration with the College of Bristol and College of Japanese Finland.

Dr Andrew Agbaje, of the Youngsters’s Well being and Analysis Centre on the College of Exeter, stated it can be preferable as WHtR does no longer range with age.

‘This learn about supplies novel knowledge that will be helpful in updating long run early life weight problems tips and coverage statements,’ he stated.

‘However not like BMI, the typical waist circumference-to-height ratio in early life, early life, and younger maturity does no longer range with age and amongst people. This is the reason it could be preferable to BMI evaluation in kids and adolescent clinics as an affordable instrument for detecting extra fats.

‘It additionally method oldsters can simply and temporarily verify whether or not an build up of their kid’s BMI or weight is because of extra fats, by means of analyzing their kid’s waist circumference-to-height ratio.’


Practice Dentistry.co.united kingdom on Instagram to stay alongside of the entire newest dental information and tendencies.



Leave a Comment