A long-term study has found that skinfold thickness during adolescence is a better predictor of being overweight as an adult than adolescent body mass index (BMI) - the ratio of weight to height commonly used to classify an individual as over-, under- or normal-weight.
Measuring skinfold thickness "should be the preferred screening tool" to identify adolescents at increased risk of becoming overweight adults, the authors conclude. Dr Astrid C. Nooyens from VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, and colleagues analysed BMI and skinfold thickness during adolescence in relation to adult body weight measured at a mean age of 37 years.
According to a report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, none of the boys were overweight at baseline, and 1.7 percent of the girls were, while 29 percent and 32 percent, respectively, were overweight as adults.
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