Content area
Full Text
TORONTO - Body mass index (BMI) is not equally reliable in determining ideal body composition for men and women, researchers from North Carolina have found.
Based on their results, the team from the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University say the existing unigender BMI designations should be reviewed.
They set out to determine if having the same BMI measurements define obesity and overweight in both genders gives an accurate picture of body composition.
Using body fat measurement as the gold standard, their findings showed the BMI for men and women was different at ideal body composition, and at percentages indicating obesity and overweight. BMI designations for these categories are currently the same for men and women, however.
Among their findings, men who were considered obese by body fat percentage had a significantly higher mean BMI than obese women, at 28.6 compared to 26.7 for women.
"Men tend to have higher BMIs, whether they're at ideal body composition or whether they're overweight," said lead researcher Dr. Joseph Garry, director of sports medicine at East Carolina University.
[Graph Not Transcribed]
[Graph Not Transcribed]
At the moment, a standardized BMI defines overweight as [Symbol Not Transcribed] [greater or equal to] 25 kg/m[Symbol Not...