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Body mass index (BMI; in kg/m²) cutoffs for use with children and adolescents aged 2–18 y that correspond to the well-accepted BMI cutoffs for overweight (≥ 25 but < 30) and obesity (≥ 30) in adults were published recently.

The objective was to estimate the percentage body fat (%BF) values typically associated with these BMI cutoffs in children and adolescents.

The %BF was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in 661 subjects (49% male) aged 3–18 y. Regression equations using BMI, age, and sex were developed to predict the %BF associated with BMI cutoffs for overweight (age-specific BMI equivalent to a BMI of 25 in an 18-y-old) and obesity (age-specific BMI equivalent to a BMI of 30 in an 18-y-old) over this age range.

Measurements classified 17.1% of males and 19.8% of females as overweight and 5.5% of males and 7.5% of females as obese. The %BF …