RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BODY-FAT AND BODY-MASS INDEX - DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INDONESIANS AND DUTCH CAUCASIANS

Objective: To study the relationship between percent body fat and body mass index (BM) in two different ethnic groups (Indonesians and Cauca sians) in order to evaluate the validity of the BMI cut-off points for obesity. Design: Cross-sectional study. Subjects: Not specially selec ted 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. R esults: Body fat could be well predicted by body mass index (BMI) and sex in the Indonesians and by BMT, sex and age in the Dutch with a pre diction error of 3.6 and 3.3% for the two populations respectively. Al though the body mass index in the Indonesian group was about 2 kg/m(2) lower compared to the Dutch, the amount of body fat was 3% points hig her. Because of small differences between the groups in age, weight an d 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 s ame % BF, age and sex have generally a 2.9 kg/m(2) lower BMI compared to the Dutch. Conclusions: The results show that the relationship betw een % 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 Indonesi a based on the BMI should be 27 kg/m(2) instead of 30 kg/m(2).