The incorrectness of using the body mass index as a diagnostic criterion for overweight and obesity in children
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/2077-6594/2024.1/08Keywords:
body mass index, bioimpedance method, body composition, skeletal muscles, overweight, obesity, childrenAbstract
The purpose of our study was to compare BMI indicators in overweight and obese children according to bioimpedance examination, taking into account not only the content of fat mass, but also the content of skeletal muscles and assessing their strength using a standard hand isometric test. Materials and methods. 222 children aged 9 to 14 were involved in the study. The bioimpedance study was carried out using the "TANITA MC-780 MA" bioelectrical impedance analyzer (Japan). Skeletal muscle strength was assessed using a standardized hand isometric test using a Handexer Grip Strength Tester digital hand dynamometer (USA). The statistical probability of differences between subgroups was assessed using the Student’s test for independent samples at a significance level of p < 0.05, using the statistical software package Minitab® 21.3.1 (freeware version). Results. The analysis of the obtained data, both in girls and in boys, showed that the average value of BMI in all three examined subgroups did not statistically significantly differ, which, in our opinion, confirms that this indicator cannot relevantly reflect the peculiarities of the component composition of the body of the examined persons This conclusion is supported by the fact that highly reliable differences were found between the mean value of the BMD% indicator in all three subgroups, both in boys and in girls at similar BMI values. As for the indicators of skeletal muscle content, the most informative of them were the limb muscle index (LMI) and the percentage of limb muscle content (LMC), which clearly differentiate children with sarcopenia from those observed with normal content skeletal muscles. Conclusions. 1. The body mass index cannot be considered a correct diagnostic criterion for the diagnosis of overweight and obesity in children, since it overestimates the diagnosis of these conditions in the case of large muscle mass, and vice versa – underestimates their detection in sarcopenic obesity. 2. For the diagnosis of overweight and obesity and the identification of persons in the cardio-metabolic risk group, it is advisable to use the determination of the component composition of the body with the help of bioimpedancemetry.
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