Relationship between body fat and body mass index: differences between Indonesians and Dutch Caucasians

Abstract

Objective: To study the relationship between percent body fat and body mass index (BMI) in two different ethnic groups (Indonesians and Caucasians) in order to evaluate the validity of the BMI cut-off points for obesity. Design: Cross-sectional study. Subjects: Not specially selected populations living in southern Sumatra (Palembang, Indonesia) and Caucasian Dutch living in Wageningen. Measurements: Body weight, body height, body fat by deuterium oxide dilution and skinfold thickness. Results: Body fat could be well predicted by body mass index (BMI) and sex in the Indonesians and by BMI, sex and age in the Dutch with a prediction error of 3.6 and 3.3% for the two populations respectively. Although the body mass index in the Indonesian group was about 2 kgam 2 lower compared to the Dutch, the amount of body fat was 3% points higher. Because of small differences between the groups in age, weight and height the differences in body fat were corrected for this (ANOVA). Indonesians having the same weight, height, age and sex have generally 4.8% points more body fat compared to Dutch. Indonesians having the same % BF, age and sex have generally a 2.9 kgam 2 lower BMI compared to the Dutch. Conclusions:The results show that the relationship between % BF and BMI is different between Indonesians and Dutch Caucasians. If obesity is regarded as an excess of body fat and not as an excess of weight (increased BMI), the cut-off points for obesity in Indonesia based on the BMI should be 27 kgam 2 instead of 30 kgam 2 .

Differences in the relationship between body fat and body mass index between two different Indonesian ethnic groups: The effect of body build

“…In both population groups, BF% predicted with a Caucasian prediction formula (Deurenberg et al, 1991), using BMI, age and sex as predictive variables, underestimated the actual BF%, in Depok much more than in Makale. The results of this study con®rm results of previous studies in Indonesia on the relationship between BMI and BF%, showing higher BF% at relatively low levels of BMI compared to Caucasians (Guricci et al, 1998;Ku Èpper et al, 1998). This phenomenon is not limited to Indonesians.…”

“…Recently we showed in a comparative study that Indonesians living in Palembang, Sumatra, have generally 4.8 percent points more body fat compared to Dutch subjects, having the same weight, height, age and sex. Indonesian having the same BF%, age and sex generally have a 2.9 kgam 2 lower BMI compared to the Dutch (Guricci et al, 1998). Differences between ethnic groups in the BMIaBF% relation are also found in other studies (Swinburn et al, 1996;Wang et al, 1994;Luke et al, 1997), but not in all (Gallagher et al, 1996;Deurenberg et al, 1997).…”

“…fp7 IXPHBfws HXPQB ge À IHXVBsex À SXR 1 and a formula developed in an Indonesian population (Guricci et al, 1998):…”

“…Norgan discussed in several papers the impact of relative sitting height (in fact leg length) on BMI (Norgan, 1994a, b), but this effect was not found by others (Fehily et al, 1990). Also body build in term of frame size and thus skeletal mass could be responsible for a different relationship between BMI and BF% Guricci et al, 1998;Fehily et al, 1990;Rookus et al, 1985). In addition, a more stocky build is likely to coincide with more muscle and connective tissue and would for that reason add to a higher fat free massafat mass ratio at the same BMI.…”

Nutritional status following malaria control in a Vietnamese ethnic minority commune

“…This may frustrate statistical analysis by crowding of data in the tail of the distribution curves as well as the mathematical conversion of cutoff points to define desirable body dimensions. There are also physiological objections to extrapolate the definition of optimal body dimensions to other populations, especially the ethnic minority groups in Vietnam, whose members are generally shorter and leaner than the Kinh majority (De Onis et al, 1997;Gurrici et al, 1998;WHO expert consultation, 2004).…”