Comparison of the effectiveness of body mass index and body fat percentage in defining body composition - Original Article

Q: What was the purpose of comparing BMI and BFP in this study?

To determine whether body fat percentage (BFP) defines body composition better than body mass index (BMI), particularly in distinguishing fat from lean mass.

Q: How were BMI and BFP measured and analyzed?

Anthropometric measurements were collected with standard techniques, BMI was calculated from weight and height, and BFP was computed using the United States Navy formula. Pearson correlation and Kappa values were used, with p-value < 0.05 as significant.

Q: What differences in overweight/obesity classification were observed between BMI and BFP?

BMI identified more overweight individuals, and classified males and females as obese at rates of 14.3% and 7.8%. BFP classified obesity differently, reporting 8.9% of males and 22.8% of females as obese.

Oct 12, 2026

Uploaded by Chumphorn

Comparison of body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (BFP) in defining body composition was assessed in a cross-sectional study of healthy, multiethnic male and female students aged 17–30 years in Melaka, Malaysia. Anthropometric measurements were collected using standard techniques, with BFP calculated using the United States Navy formula and both measures analyzed with correlation and Kappa statistics. BMI classified 43% of males/24.6% of females as overweight and 14.3%/7.8% as obese, while BFP yielded 8.9%/22.8% as obese. BFP showed stronger discrimination between lean and fat mass than BMI.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryGeneral

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Pages6

Reading Time2 min

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Introduction

Methods

Results

Conclusion

O riginal A rticle Singapore Med J 2012; 53(6) : 403 Comparison of the effectiveness of body mass index and body fat percentage in defining body composition Arvin Raj Goonasegaran1, MBBS, Fatin Nabila bt Mat Nawi1, MBBS, Nurul Shuhada bt Abdul Wahab1, MBBS | INTRODUCTION Body mass index (BMI) has limited diagnostic performance due to its inability to discriminate between fat and lean mass. This study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of body fat percentage (BFP) against BMI in defining body composition.
METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted on students aged 17–30 years in Melaka, Malaysia. Basic anthropometric measurements were acquired using a manual weighing scale, measuring tape and a fixed stadiometer. BFP was calculated using the United States Navy formula. Data was tabulated and analysed using Epi Info and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software. Pearson’s correlation coefficient and Kappa values were used. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
RESUlTS Out of the 490 subjects recruited, 43% of males and 24. 6% of females were found to be overweight, while 14.3% of males and 7. 8% of females were obese, when calculated using BMI. However, 8 . 9% of males and 22. 8% of females were considered obese based on the BFP.
CONClUSION BFP plays a more important role in distinguishing between healthy and obese individuals, as it has a greater ability to differentiate between lean mass and fat mass compared to BMI. | | | --- | --- | | Keywords: body fat percentage, body mass index, obese, overweight Singapore Med J 2012; 53(6): 403–408 | | | INTRODUCTION
In recent years, obesity has become an increasingly important medical concern,(1) as the number of overweight and obese individuals is increasing at an alarming rate worldwide.(2) The rapid and marked socioeconomic advancement in Malaysia in the past two decades has brought about significant changes in the lifestyles of communities, including the dietary patterns of Malaysians.(3)
Based on the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines of body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25.0 kg/m2 to define overweight and BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m2 to define obesity, it was reported that 15.1% of Malaysian adult males were overweight and 2.9% were obese, while 17.9% of adult females were overweight and 5.7% were obese.(4) BMI, which was first described by Quetelet in the mid- 19th century, based on the observation that body weight is proportional to the square of the height in adults with normal body frames,(5) has been used as a tool to diagnose obesity for the past 30 years. However, this formula does not take waist size, which is a clearer indicator of obesity, into consideration.(6) In developing his index, Quetelet had no interest in obesity. His concern was defining the characteristics of the ‘normal man’ and fitting the distribution around the norm.(7,8)
This simple index of body weight has been consistently used in numerous epidemiological studies, and has been widely recommended for individual use in clinical practice to guide recommendations for weight control and weight loss.(9-11) Although BMI-defined obesity has been associated with mortality, | various studies worldwide have shown that overweight individuals have similar or even better outcomes for survival and cardiovascular events when compared to those classified as having ‘normal’ body weight. (12) Taking these facts into consideration, a better indicator is required to define obesity. Body fat percentage (BFP) is a measure of how much of the body’s composition is fat.(13) BMI, on the other hand, has limited diagnostic performance due to its inability to discriminate between fat and lean mass.(14) This study aimed to show that BFP defines body composition better than BMI.
METHODS
This was a cross-sectional study conducted on healthy, multiethnic male and female students (aged 17–30 years) from Melaka Manipal Medical College (MMMC) and Multimedia University (MMU) . Th

FAQs

What was the purpose of comparing BMI and BFP in this study?

To determine whether body fat percentage (BFP) defines body composition better than body mass index (BMI), particularly in distinguishing fat from lean mass.

How were BMI and BFP measured and analyzed?

Anthropometric measurements were collected with standard techniques, BMI was calculated from weight and height, and BFP was computed using the United States Navy formula. Pearson correlation and Kappa values were used, with p-value < 0.05 as significant.

What differences in overweight/obesity classification were observed between BMI and BFP?

BMI identified more overweight individuals, and classified males and females as obese at rates of 14.3% and 7.8%. BFP classified obesity differently, reporting 8.9% of males and 22.8% of females as obese.

Oct 12, 2026

Uploaded by Chumphorn