OBJECTIVES: To compare the relationship between body size and body composition in New Zealanders of Polynesian and European descent and to develop speci®c regression equations for fat mass for Polynesians. SUBJECTS: 189 Maori (93 males, 96 females), 185 Samoans (88 males, 97 females) and 241 Europeans (89 males, 152 females) aged 20 ± 70 y. MEASUREMENTS: Height, weight, four skinfold thicknesses, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). RESULTS: At higher body mass index levels, Polynesians (Maori and Samoans combined) had a signi®cantly higher ratio of lean mass : fat mass compared with Europeans. Four multiple regression equations incorporating resistance and reactance, height and weight, sum of four skinfolds or sum of two skinfolds were developed in two-thirds of the Polynesian participants using DXA fat mass as the dependent variable. In the remaining one-third of participants, the mean difference between fat mass predicted by these equations (r 2 range 0.89 ± 0.93) and DXA fat mass ranged from 7 0.06 to 0.25 kg (s.d. 7 3.67 to 3.71 kg). CONCLUSION: At higher BMI levels, Polynesians were signi®cantly leaner than Europeans, implying the need for separate BMI de®nitions of overweight and obesity for Polynesians. The regression equations using BIA, height and weight or skinfold thicknesses were good predictors of body composition in Polynesians.

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