Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2008 Mar;41(2):180-3.
doi: 10.1002/eat.20468.

Body composition in girls and young women with anorexia nervosa: comparison of different equations

Affiliations

Body composition in girls and young women with anorexia nervosa: comparison of different equations

Michel Probst et al. Int J Eat Disord. 2008 Mar.

Abstract

Objective: The weight percentage of body fat in anorexic adolescents on the basis of four distinct formulas (Siri; Lohman; Westrate and Deurenberg; Heyward and Stolarczyk) is compared.

Method: The body composition of 238 anorexia nervosa (AN) patients, divided into four age categories (13-15, 15-17, 17-19, and 19-22 years), was measured by means of densitometry (underwater weighing).

Results: Depending on the formula, the results calculated by the formulas differ significantly in each age category. The Siri formula generally results in the highest mean fat percentage (12.76%-13.39%) whereas the Heyward and Stolarczyck formula shows the lowest figures (8.77%-9.31%). Applying the Lohman and the Heyward and Stolarczyck formulas to the 19-22 years category, results in negative fat percentages.

Conclusion: A clinically useful formula is important for the estimation of body composition in specific age categories. We recommend with some restrictions, to apply the Siri formula in AN patients.

PubMed Disclaimer

LinkOut - more resources