Waist circumference-to-height ratio identifies obesity in children and adolescents better than BMI, finds a study using Bristol’s Children of the 90s data.
The research included 7237 children (51% females) aged nine years who were followed-up until they were 24. Their BMI and waist circumference-to-height ratio were measured at ages 9, 11, 15, 17, and 24. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA)-measured fat mass and muscle mass was employed in the study to compare with BMI and waist circumference-to-height ratio.
The paper states that ‘this is the first longitudinal study… that identified waist circumference-to-height ratio as an inexpensive accurate measure that discriminates fat mass from lean mass that could replace BMI measure of obesity in paediatrics.’
Study author Professor Andrew Agbaje highlighted that ‘parents should not be discouraged by the BMI or weight of their children but can inexpensively confirm whether the weight is due to increase in excess fat by examining their child’s waist circumference-to-height ratio.
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