General fitness, health and nutrition · Public discussion

Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis better than BMI

Ada · 2003-10-10T13:55:09+00:00

Hi all, The paper found that "BIA measurements alone gave the most telling results" (not BMI or skinfold that are often used). The researchers also noted that: "BIA results are usually accurate within 2 to 3 percent of hydrostatic measurements". My question is: Are these new scanning scales that I saw the other day sold in Costco, use BIA and are they good enough? Any experience here? TIA, ada http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/10/031009065701.htm Don't Rely On BMI To Indicate Weight Problem In Children Using body mass index (BMI) and skin-fold measurements – two methods typically used to determine if a child has too much body fat – may not provide accurate results, a new study reports. According to the research, a better way to determine a child's body fat percentage is with bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) – a method that sends a harmless electrical current through the body in order to measure body fat percentage. Using BMI measurements, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2000 estimated that 15 percent of U.S. children aged 6 to 11 were overweight. BMI measurements are the customary standard for determining whether or not a person has too much body fat. "But there are a number of children who are at risk for becoming overweight that may not be included in the CDC estimate," said Theresa Skybo, the study's lead author and an assistant professor of nursing at Ohio State University. The study appears in a recent issue of The Journal of School Nursing. She and Nancy Ryan-Wenger, a professor of nursing at Ohio State, used BIA, BMI and skin-fold measurements to assess the body fat percentages of 58 third-grade children. The children attended two urban public schools, and nearly half of the children were African American. Each child was weighed on a scale equipped with bioelectrical impedance analysis. The researchers used each child's height and weight to calculate BMI. Each child also underwent a skin-fold test – a caliper was used to measure the thickness of the skin and subcutaneous fat on the back of the upper arm. When the researchers compared the results of the three methods, they found that one out of three children risked developing a weight problem. But BIA measurements alone gave the most telling results: nine out of 10 girls in the study were either overweight or at risk for becoming overweight, as were nearly half of the boys. A child is considered at risk for developing a weight problem if he falls between the 85th and 95th percentile for weight in his age category (height is also taken into consideration.) BMI results indicated that about a third of the boys and two out of five girls in the study risked developing a weight problem; however, according to the BMI results, none of the children were truly overweight. Results from the skin-fold test were similar – about half of the boys were deemed at risk for developing a weight problem, as were a third of the girls. "There isn't a clear consensus on the definition of what 'overweight' means in children and teens, nor is there a consensus on the best method to use for determining whether or not a young person is overweight," said Skybo. "But when compared to skin-fold or BMI measurements, the BIA results gave a more reliable estimate of a child's chances of developing a weight problem." Hydrostatic weighing, which involves submerging a person in water, is the gold standard for determining body fat percentage, but the equipment is costly and the procedure is time consuming. Also, BIA results are usually accurate within 2 to 3 percent of hydrostatic measurements, Ryan-Wenger said. Skybo cautions those who rely solely on BMI measurements to determine children's body fat percentages. "Body composition changes at different rates and at different times throughout youth, and varying growth rates may distort BMI measurements," she said. "For example, boys are usually leaner during growth spurts, while girls gain body fat during puberty. She also said that while it's possible BIA measurements could overestimate the number of children truly at risk for becoming overweight, the long-term health risks of unidentified and untreated weight problems have enormous implications for a child's physical, social and emotional well-being. Mounting evidence suggests a link between weight problems in early childhood and chronic health problems in adulthood such as obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol, all of which can contribute to heart disease. "The likelihood that an overweight child will be an overweight or obese adult increases as the child ages," said Skybo, adding that after age 6, overweight children have a one-in-two chance of being overweight or obese as adults, compared with a one-in-ten chance for normal-weight boys and girls. Knowing a child's body fat percentage could help nurses, physicians and parents lower a child's chances of developing these risk factors later in life. "The leading risk factors for the development of heart disease begin in childhood and include obesity, poor nutrition and high cholesterol levels," said Skybo. "Overweight children are 2.4 times more likely to have elevated cholesterol levels than are normal-weight children." The researchers received support for this study from the American Heart Association, the Ohio Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and Ohio State University.

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Original section: General fitness, health and nutrition
Published: 10 October 2003
Last activity: 10 October 2003
Original author: Ada
Posts: 3
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Topics: Nutrition

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Original post
Ada
Archived post

10 October 2003, 13:55 UTC #1

Hi all,
The paper found that "BIA measurements alone gave the most telling results" (not BMI or skinfold
that are often used). The researchers also noted that: "BIA results are usually accurate within 2 to
3 percent of hydrostatic measurements".
My question is: Are these new scanning scales that I saw the other day sold in Costco, use BIA and
are they good enough? Any experience here?
TIA, ada
sciencedaily.com031009065701.htm
Don't Rely On BMI To Indicate Weight Problem In Children Using body mass index (BMI) and skin-fold
measurements – two methods typically used to determine if a child has too much body fat – may not
provide accurate results, a new study reports.
According to the research, a better way to determine a child's body fat percentage is with
bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) – a method that sends a harmless electrical current through
the body in order to measure body fat percentage.
Using BMI measurements, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2000 estimated that 15
percent of U.S. children aged 6 to 11 were overweight. BMI measurements are the customary standard
for determining whether or not a person has too much body fat.
"But there are a number of children who are at risk for becoming overweight that may not be included
in the CDC estimate," said Theresa Skybo, the study's lead author and an assistant professor of
nursing at Ohio State University.
The study appears in a recent issue of The Journal of School Nursing.
She and Nancy Ryan-Wenger, a professor of nursing at Ohio State, used BIA, BMI and skin-fold
measurements to assess the body fat percentages of 58 third-grade children. The children attended
two urban public schools, and nearly half of the children were African American.
Each child was weighed on a scale equipped with bioelectrical impedance analysis. The researchers
used each child's height and weight to calculate BMI. Each child also underwent a skin-fold test –
a caliper was used to measure the thickness of the skin and subcutaneous fat on the back of the
upper arm.
When the researchers compared the results of the three methods, they found that one out of three
children risked developing a weight problem. But BIA measurements alone gave the most telling
results: nine out of 10 girls in the study were either overweight or at risk for becoming
overweight, as were nearly half of the boys.
A child is considered at risk for developing a weight problem if he falls between the 85th and 95th
percentile for weight in his age category (height is also taken into consideration.)
BMI results indicated that about a third of the boys and two out of five girls in the study risked
developing a weight problem; however, according to the BMI results, none of the children were truly
overweight. Results from the skin-fold test were similar – about half of the boys were deemed at
risk for developing a weight problem, as were a third of the girls.
"There isn't a clear consensus on the definition of what 'overweight' means in children and teens,
nor is there a consensus on the best method to use for determining whether or not a young person is
overweight," said Skybo. "But when compared to skin-fold or BMI measurements, the BIA results gave a
more reliable estimate of a child's chances of developing a weight problem."
Hydrostatic weighing, which involves submerging a person in water, is the gold standard for
determining body fat percentage, but the equipment is costly and the procedure is time consuming.
Also, BIA results are usually accurate within 2 to 3 percent of hydrostatic measurements,
Ryan-Wenger said.
Skybo cautions those who rely solely on BMI measurements to determine children's body fat
percentages.
"Body composition changes at different rates and at different times throughout youth, and varying
growth rates may distort BMI measurements," she said. "For example, boys are usually leaner during
growth spurts, while girls gain body fat during puberty.
She also said that while it's possible BIA measurements could overestimate the number of children
truly at risk for becoming overweight, the long-term health risks of unidentified and untreated
weight problems have enormous implications for a child's physical, social and emotional well-being.
Mounting evidence suggests a link between weight problems in early childhood and chronic health
problems in adulthood such as obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol, all of which can contribute to
heart disease.
"The likelihood that an overweight child will be an overweight or obese adult increases as the child
ages," said Skybo, adding that after age 6, overweight children have a one-in-two chance of being
overweight or obese as adults, compared with a one-in-ten chance for normal-weight boys and girls.
Knowing a child's body fat percentage could help nurses, physicians and parents lower a child's
chances of developing these risk factors later in life.
"The leading risk factors for the development of heart disease begin in childhood and include
obesity, poor nutrition and high cholesterol levels," said Skybo. "Overweight children are 2.4 times
more likely to have elevated cholesterol levels than are normal-weight children."
The researchers received support for this study from the American Heart Association, the Ohio
Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and Ohio State University.

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Pbeyer
Archived post

10 October 2003, 16:54 UTC #2

--------------67C916D8EEA30E4E9AF44B31 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
ada said:
Hi all,
The paper found that "BIA measurements alone gave the most telling results" (not BMI or skinfold
that are often used). The researchers also noted that: "BIA results are usually accurate within 2
to 3 percent of hydrostatic measurements".
My question is: Are these new scanning scales that I saw the other day sold in Costco, use BIA and
are they good enough? Any experience here?
TIA, ada
BMI is a good screening tool and it is valid for identifying the liklihood of obesity in a large
population-- It is not, however very precise at computing the percent body fat for individuals--
because a few people have different body compositions. Bioimpedence apparatus do pretty well. but
vary in their accuracy, too. When compared with the gold standards, (underwater weighing, DEXA, etc)
it performs fairly well but results may vary with the brand, with some clinical situations and with
the training of the operator. One of our faculty saw +, - 10% with one machine. Even 10% tho is
pretty good (eg, you measure 18, 20 or 22 % ) BMI could also over estimate one's fat content. The
author/article is wrong about the reliance on BMI for fat measuring. Most people who are in the
business of determining body fat and understand it do not rely on BMI accurately measuring degree of
adiposity. Pete
sciencedaily.com031009065701.htm
Quoted message said:

Don't Rely On BMI To Indicate Weight Problem In Children Using body mass index (BMI) and skin-fold
measurements – two methods typically used to determine if a child has too much body fat – may not
provide accurate results, a new study reports.
According to the research, a better way to determine a child's body fat percentage is with
bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) – a method that sends a harmless electrical current through
the body in order to measure body fat percentage.
Using BMI measurements, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2000 estimated that 15
percent of U.S. children aged 6 to 11 were overweight. BMI measurements are the customary standard
for determining whether or not a person has too much body fat.
"But there are a number of children who are at risk for becoming overweight that may not be
included in the CDC estimate," said Theresa Skybo, the study's lead author and an assistant
professor of nursing at Ohio State University.
The study appears in a recent issue of The Journal of School Nursing.
She and Nancy Ryan-Wenger, a professor of nursing at Ohio State, used BIA, BMI and skin-fold
measurements to assess the body fat percentages of 58 third-grade children. The children attended
two urban public schools, and nearly half of the children were African American.
Each child was weighed on a scale equipped with bioelectrical impedance analysis. The researchers
used each child's height and weight to calculate BMI. Each child also underwent a skin-fold test –
a caliper was used to measure the thickness of the skin and subcutaneous fat on the back of the
upper arm.
When the researchers compared the results of the three methods, they found that one out of three
children risked developing a weight problem. But BIA measurements alone gave the most telling
results: nine out of 10 girls in the study were either overweight or at risk for becoming
overweight, as were nearly half of the boys.
A child is considered at risk for developing a weight problem if he falls between the 85th and
95th percentile for weight in his age category (height is also taken into consideration.)
BMI results indicated that about a third of the boys and two out of five girls in the study risked
developing a weight problem; however, according to the BMI results, none of the children were
truly overweight. Results from the skin-fold test were similar – about half of the boys were
deemed at risk for developing a weight problem, as were a third of the girls.
"There isn't a clear consensus on the definition of what 'overweight' means in children and teens,
nor is there a consensus on the best method to use for determining whether or not a young person
is overweight," said Skybo. "But when compared to skin-fold or BMI measurements, the BIA results
gave a more reliable estimate of a child's chances of developing a weight problem."
Hydrostatic weighing, which involves submerging a person in water, is the gold standard for
determining body fat percentage, but the equipment is costly and the procedure is time consuming.
Also, BIA results are usually accurate within 2 to 3 percent of hydrostatic measurements,
Ryan-Wenger said.
Skybo cautions those who rely solely on BMI measurements to determine children's body fat
percentages.
"Body composition changes at different rates and at different times throughout youth, and varying
growth rates may distort BMI measurements," she said. "For example, boys are usually leaner during
growth spurts, while girls gain body fat during puberty.
She also said that while it's possible BIA measurements could overestimate the number of children
truly at risk for becoming overweight, the long-term health risks of unidentified and untreated
weight problems have enormous implications for a child's physical, social and emotional
well-being.
Mounting evidence suggests a link between weight problems in early childhood and chronic health
problems in adulthood such as obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol, all of which can contribute
to heart disease.
"The likelihood that an overweight child will be an overweight or obese adult increases as the
child ages," said Skybo, adding that after age 6, overweight children have a one-in-two chance
of being overweight or obese as adults, compared with a one-in-ten chance for normal-weight boys
and girls.
Knowing a child's body fat percentage could help nurses, physicians and parents lower a child's
chances of developing these risk factors later in life.
"The leading risk factors for the development of heart disease begin in childhood and include
obesity, poor nutrition and high cholesterol levels," said Skybo. "Overweight children are 2.4
times more likely to have elevated cholesterol levels than are normal-weight children."
The researchers received support for this study from the American Heart Association, the Ohio
Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and Ohio State University.
--------------67C916D8EEA30E4E9AF44B31 Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en"> <html>
ada wrote: <blockquote TYPE=CITE>Hi all,
<q>The paper found that "BIA measurements alone gave the most telling results" (not BMI or
skinfold that are often used). The researchers also noted that: "BIA results are
usually accurate within 2 to 3 percent of hydrostatic measurements".
<r>My question is: Are these new scanning scales that I saw the other day sold in Costco, use
BIA and are they good enough? Any experience here?
<s>TIA, ada</blockquote> BMI is a good screening tool and it is valid for identifying the
liklihood of obesity in a large population-- It is not, however very precise at computing the
percent body fat for individuals-- because a few people have different body compositions.
 Bioimpedence apparatus do pretty well. but vary in their accuracy, too. When compared
with the gold standards, (underwater weighing, DEXA, etc) it performs fairly well but results may
vary with the brand, with some clinical situations and with the training of the operator.
One of our faculty saw +, - 10% with one machine. Even 10% tho is pretty good (eg, you
measure 18, 20 or 22 % ) BMI could also over estimate one's fat content. The
author/article is wrong about the reliance on BMI for fat measuring. Most people who are in
the business of determining body fat and understand it do not rely on BMI accurately measuring
degree of adiposity. Pete<a
href="sciencedaily.com031009065701.htm"></a>
<t><a href="sciencedaily.com031009065701.htm">sciencedaily.-sciencedaily.-
com/releases/2003/10/031009065701.htm</a> <blockquote TYPE=CITE> Don't Rely On BMI To
Indicate Weight Problem In Children Using body mass index (BMI) and skin-fold measurements –
two methods typically used to determine if a child has too much body fat – may not
 provide accurate results, a new study reports.
According to the research, a better way to determine a child's body fat percentage is with
bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) – a method that sends a harmless electrical current
through the body in order to measure body fat percentage.
<v>Using BMI measurements, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2000 estimated that
15 percent of U.S. children aged 6 to 11 were overweight. BMI measurements are the customary
standard for determining whether or not a person has too much body fat.
<w>"But there are a number of children who are at risk for becoming overweight that may not be
included in the CDC estimate," said Theresa Skybo, the study's lead author and an assistant
professor of nursing at Ohio State University.
<x>The study appears in a recent issue of The Journal of School Nursing.
<y>She and Nancy Ryan-Wenger, a professor of nursing at Ohio State, used BIA, BMI and skin-fold
measurements to assess the body fat percentages of 58 third-grade children. The children
attended two urban public schools, and nearly half of the children were African American.
<z>Each child was weighed on a scale equipped with bioelectrical impedance analysis. The
researchers used each child's height and weight to calculate BMI. Each child also underwent a
skin-fold test – a caliper was used to measure the thickness of the skin and subcutaneous
fat on the back of the upper arm.
<z>When the researchers compared the results of the three methods, they found that one out of
three children risked developing a weight problem. But BIA measurements alone gave the most
telling results: nine out of 10 girls in the study were either overweight or at risk for
becoming overweight, as were nearly half of the boys.
<z>A child is considered at risk for developing a weight problem if he falls between the 85th
and 95th percentile for weight in his age category (height is also taken into consideration.)
<z>BMI results indicated that about a third of the boys and two out of five girls in the
study risked developing a weight problem; however, according to the BMI results, none of
the children were truly overweight. Results from the skin-fold test were similar – about
half of the boys were deemed at risk for developing a weight problem, as were a third
of the girls.
<z>"There isn't a clear consensus on the definition of what 'overweight' means in children and
teens, nor is there a consensus on the best method to use for determining whether or not a
young person is overweight," said Skybo. "But when compared to skin-fold or BMI
 measurements, the BIA results gave a more reliable estimate of a child's chances of
developing a weight problem."
<z>Hydrostatic weighing, which involves submerging a person in water, is the gold standard for
determining body fat percentage, but the equipment is costly and the procedure is time
consuming. Also, BIA results are usually accurate within 2 to 3 percent of hydrostatic
 measurements, Ryan-Wenger said.
<z>Skybo cautions those who rely solely on BMI measurements to determine children's body fat
percentages.
<z>"Body composition changes at different rates and at different times throughout youth, and
varying growth rates may distort BMI measurements," she said. "For example, boys are usually
leaner during growth spurts, while girls gain body fat during puberty.
<z>She also said that while it's possible BIA measurements could overestimate the number of
children truly at risk for becoming overweight, the long-term health risks of unidentified
and untreated weight problems have enormous implications for a child's physical, social
and emotional well-being.
<z>Mounting evidence suggests a link between weight problems in early childhood and chronic
health problems in adulthood such as obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol, all of which can
contribute to heart disease.
<z>"The likelihood that an overweight child will be an overweight or obese adult increases as
the child ages," said Skybo, adding that after age 6, overweight children have a one-in-two
chance of being overweight or obese as adults, compared with a one-in-ten chance for
 normal-weight boys and girls.
<z>Knowing a child's body fat percentage could help nurses, physicians and parents lower a
child's chances of developing these risk factors later in life.
<z>"The leading risk factors for the development of heart disease begin in childhood and include
obesity, poor nutrition and high cholesterol levels," said Skybo. "Overweight children are
2.4 times more likely to have elevated cholesterol levels than are normal-weight children."
<z>The researchers received support for this study from the American Heart Association, the Ohio
Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and Ohio State
University.</blockquote> </html>
--------------67C916D8EEA30E4E9AF44B31--

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markd
Archived post

10 October 2003, 18:54 UTC #3

I don't think bmi was ever intended to compete with fat percentage measures. It was to be a better
replacement for the height / weight / "frame" charts developed from life insurance mortality
stats. It was intended to say something about population level probability of long term health,
not about any individual. This is why body builder types get bent out of shape, pun intended,
because they occupy the tail of the bell curve, while their body fat measure is based on
appearence fads. The kind
of oppisition between types of measuring fat percentage is is the kind of obsession that concerns
them and could well be the genesis of the study you reference. Bmi is excelent for and is used all
the time in population based health/medical research, often a major variable by which to correlate
or normalize sub groups.
Quoted message said:
The paper found that "BIA measurements alone gave the most telling results" (not BMI or skinfold
that are often used). The researchers also noted that: "BIA results are usually accurate within 2
to 3 percent of hydrostatic measurements".
My question is: Are these new scanning scales that I saw the other day sold in Costco, use BIA and
are they good enough? Any experience here?
TIA, ada
sciencedaily.com031009065701.htm
Don't Rely On BMI To Indicate Weight Problem In Children Using body mass index (BMI) and skin-fold
measurements two methods typically used to determine if a child has too much body fat may not
provide accurate results, a new study reports.
According to the research, a better way to determine a child's body fat percentage is with
bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) a method that sends a harmless electrical current through
the body in order to measure body fat percentage.
Using BMI measurements, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2000 estimated that 15
percent of U.S. children aged 6 to 11 were overweight. BMI measurements are the customary standard
for determining whether or not a person has too much body fat.
"But there are a number of children who are at risk for becoming overweight that may not be
included in the CDC estimate," said Theresa Skybo, the study's lead author and an assistant
professor of nursing at Ohio State University.
The study appears in a recent issue of The Journal of School Nursing.
She and Nancy Ryan-Wenger, a professor of nursing at Ohio State, used BIA, BMI and skin-fold
measurements to assess the body fat percentages of 58 third-grade children. The children attended
two urban public schools, and nearly half of the children were African American.
Each child was weighed on a scale equipped with bioelectrical impedance analysis. The researchers
used each child's height and weight to calculate BMI. Each child also underwent a skin-fold test a
caliper was used to measure the thickness of the skin and subcutaneous fat on the back of the
upper arm.
When the researchers compared the results of the three methods, they found that one out of three
children risked developing a weight problem. But BIA measurements alone gave the most telling
results: nine out of 10 girls in the study were either overweight or at risk for becoming
overweight, as were nearly half of the boys.
A child is considered at risk for developing a weight problem if he falls between the 85th and 95th
percentile for weight in his age category (height is also taken into consideration.)
BMI results indicated that about a third of the boys and two out of five girls in the study risked
developing a weight problem; however, according to the BMI results, none of the children were truly
overweight. Results from the skin-fold test were similar about half of the boys were deemed at risk
for developing a weight problem, as were a third of the girls.
"There isn't a clear consensus on the definition of what 'overweight' means in children and teens,
nor is there a consensus on the best method to use for determining whether or not a young person is
overweight," said Skybo. "But when compared to skin-fold or BMI measurements, the BIA results gave
a more reliable estimate of a child's chances of developing a weight problem."
Hydrostatic weighing, which involves submerging a person in water, is the gold standard for
determining body fat percentage, but the equipment is costly and the procedure is time consuming.
Also, BIA results are usually accurate within 2 to 3 percent of hydrostatic measurements,
Ryan-Wenger said.
Skybo cautions those who rely solely on BMI measurements to determine children's body fat
percentages.
"Body composition changes at different rates and at different times throughout youth, and varying
growth rates may distort BMI measurements," she said. "For example, boys are usually leaner during
growth spurts, while girls gain body fat during puberty.
She also said that while it's possible BIA measurements could overestimate the number of children
truly at risk for becoming overweight, the long-term health risks of unidentified and untreated
weight problems have enormous implications for a child's physical, social and emotional well-being.
Mounting evidence suggests a link between weight problems in early childhood and chronic health
problems in adulthood such as obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol, all of which can contribute
to heart disease.
"The likelihood that an overweight child will be an overweight or obese adult increases as the
child ages," said Skybo, adding that after age 6, overweight children have a one-in-two chance
of being overweight or obese as adults, compared with a one-in-ten chance for normal-weight boys
and girls.
Knowing a child's body fat percentage could help nurses, physicians and parents lower a child's
chances of developing these risk factors later in life.
"The leading risk factors for the development of heart disease begin in childhood and include
obesity, poor nutrition and high cholesterol levels," said Skybo. "Overweight children are 2.4
times more likely to have elevated cholesterol levels than are normal-weight children."
The researchers received support for this study from the American Heart Association, the Ohio
Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and Ohio State University.

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