Background/Purpose
Method
Analysis/Results
ConclusionsAssessments of body composition and BMI are widely used in schools and public health research to characterize the prevalence of overweight and obesity. The widely accepted CDC growth charts have been shown to have good utility for identifying potential health risk but these are based on percentile norms rather than health related standards. The new FITNESSGRAM body composition standards were developed based on clinical associations with metabolic syndrome using nationally representative data from NHANES. Since the FITNESSGRAM program includes assessments of both body fatness and BMI special consideration was given to ensure that youth would be classified similarly with both assessments. Standards were developed for body fatness and then equated to corresponding BMI values to ensure good agreement. In boys, the values for the Healthy Fitness zone and the At Risk zones correspond with the 83rd percentile and 92nd percentiles in the CDC growth charts, respectively. In girls, the values for the Healthy Fitness zone and the At Risk zone correspond with the 83rd percentile and 92nd percentiles in the CDC charts, respectively. The BMI values for ages 5-9 were set at the 85th and 95th percentile due to lack of data to detect risk in this age group. The resulting standards for body fatness and BMI provide advantages over the use of the CDC BMI percentiles because they are based on objective health risks. The presentation will highlight the major steps involved in creating these standards and discuss implications for use in FITNESSGRAM.
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