OBJECTIVES: The objective of the present study was to characterize age-dependent variations in percentage of body fat within different body mass index (BMI) classes in healthy Danish women. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis. SETTINGS: The study was done at the Center for Clinical and Basic Research, Ballerup, Denmark. SUBJECTS: Four hundred and four healthy women aged 18-75 years were included in the present study. MEASUREMENTS: Fat tissue mass was estimated using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Menopausal status and physical characteristics were also registered. RESULTS: Mean values of percentage of body fat calculated in the normal and overweight BMI groups were higher in middle-aged and old women compared with young women. No significant differences were seen in the underweight and obese BMI groups. The cut-off levels between normal and overweight and between overweight and obesity were 35-43% and 40-50%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The percentage of body fat is dependent on both age and menopausal status within each of the following BMI classes: from 20 to 25 and from 25 to 30, further emphasizing that BMI has limitations when used generally as an indicator of body fatness, and argues for defining BMI cut-off values age-specifically.
OBJECTIVES: The objective of the present study was to characterize age-dependent variations in percentage of body fat within different body mass index (BMI) classes in healthy Danish women. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis. SETTINGS: The study was done at the Center for Clinical and Basic Research, Ballerup, Denmark. SUBJECTS: Four hundred and four healthy women aged 18-75 years were included in the present study. MEASUREMENTS: Fat tissue mass was estimated using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Menopausal status and physical characteristics were also registered. RESULTS: Mean values of percentage of body fat calculated in the normal and overweight BMI groups were higher in middle-aged and old women compared with young women. No significant differences were seen in the underweight and obese BMI groups. The cut-off levels between normal and overweight and between overweight and obesity were 35-43% and 40-50%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The percentage of body fat is dependent on both age and menopausal status within each of the following BMI classes: from 20 to 25 and from 25 to 30, further emphasizing that BMI has limitations when used generally as an indicator of body fatness, and argues for defining BMI cut-off values age-specifically.
Authors: Denise Felber Dietrich; Ursula Ackermann-Liebrich; Christian Schindler; Jean-Claude Barthélémy; Otto Brändli; Diane R Gold; Bruno Knöpfli; Nicole M Probst-Hensch; Frédéric Roche; Jean-Marie Tschopp; Arnold von Eckardstein; Jean-Michel Gaspoz Journal: Eur J Appl Physiol Date: 2008-07-03 Impact factor: 3.078
Authors: Iva Miljkovic-Gacic; Xiaojing Wang; Candace M Kammerer; Clareann H Bunker; Alan L Patrick; Victor W Wheeler; Lewis H Kuller; Rhobert W Evans; Joseph M Zmuda Journal: Metabolism Date: 2008-06 Impact factor: 8.694