National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, MD 20782, USA.
Adv Nutr. 2011 Mar;2(2):159S-66S. doi: 10.3945/an.111.000307. Epub 2011 Mar 10.
Terminology and measures used in studies of weight and adiposity in children can be complex and confusing. Differences arise in metrics, terminology, reference values, and reference levels. Most studies depend on body mass index (BMI) calculated from weight and height, rather than on more direct measures of body fatness. Definitions of overweight and obesity are generally statistical rather than risk-based and use a variety of different reference data sets for BMI. As a result, different definitions often do not give the same results. A basic problem is the lack of strong evidence for any one particular definition. Rather than formulate the question as being one of how to define obesity, it might be useful to consider what BMI cut-points best predict future health risks and how efficiently to screen for such risks. The answers may be different for different populations. In addition, rather than depending solely on BMI to make screening decisions, it is likely to be useful to also consider other factors, including not only race-ethnicity, sex and age, but also factors such as family history. Despite their limitations, BMI-based definitions of overweight and obesity provide working practical definitions that are valuable for general public health surveillance and screening.
儿童体重和肥胖研究中使用的术语和测量方法可能很复杂且容易混淆。在度量、术语、参考值和参考水平方面存在差异。大多数研究依赖于体重和身高计算得出的身体质量指数 (BMI)，而不是更直接的体脂测量方法。超重和肥胖的定义通常是基于统计数据而不是风险的，并且使用各种不同的 BMI 参考数据集。因此，不同的定义通常不会给出相同的结果。一个基本问题是缺乏任何一个特定定义的强有力证据。与其将问题表述为如何定义肥胖，不如考虑 BMI 切点如何最好地预测未来的健康风险，以及如何有效地筛查这些风险。答案可能因不同人群而异。此外，仅仅依靠 BMI 来做出筛查决策可能是有用的，还可能考虑其他因素，包括不仅是种族、性别和年龄，还包括家族史等因素。尽管存在局限性，但基于 BMI 的超重和肥胖定义为一般公共卫生监测和筛查提供了有价值的工作定义。
