The Utility of Body Mass Index as a Measure of Body Fatness in Children and Adolescents: Differences by Race and Gender

Abstract

BMI is not an equivalent measure of the percent body fat for each race-sex group. When BMI is used as a measure of body fatness in a research or clinical setting, particularly when comparisons are made across race and gender, it may be important to consider the maturation stage, race, gender, and distribution of body fat in the interpretation of the results.