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Review
. 2020 Mar 10;7(3):19.
doi: 10.3390/children7030019.

Fat Mass Index (FMI) as a Trustworthy Overweight and Obesity Marker in Mexican Pediatric Population

Melchor Alpízar  1 , Tamara Daniela Frydman  1 , José de Jesús Reséndiz-Rojas  1 , Miguel Alejandro Trejo-Rangel  1 , Jesús Manuel De Aldecoa-Castillo  1
Affiliations
Review

Fat Mass Index (FMI) as a Trustworthy Overweight and Obesity Marker in Mexican Pediatric Population

Melchor Alpízar et al. Children (Basel). .

Abstract

Predictive formulas to estimate body composition in children have been explored for some time, to this date, the most accurate obesity diagnostic tool is to determine fat mass. The aim of this study is to establish cutoff points that allow for a precise interpretation of nutritional status using the Fat Mass Index (FMI) in a Mexican pediatric population. A literature review using PubMed and Cochrane databases was made, searching for research articles on childhood obesity that compared BMI, FM percentage, and FMI, as well as those proposing diagnostic cutoff points. Mathematic formulas and linear regressions were then used to make a proposal on accurate cutoff points for this population. Our findings show that FM percentage is less precise than BMI and FMI in diagnosing obesity, and FMI seems to be a more complete tool for assessment as it differentiates fat and muscle mass of the total body weight. Both BMI and FMI should be considered when clinical evaluations regarding weight, with BMI complementing FMI by establishing fat-free mass. Our proposed cutoff points need to be validated in this population.

Keywords: adipose tissue; body mass index; pediatric obesity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
White and brown adipose tissue general information. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) contributes to heat production. BAT adipocytes have several mitochondria and high UCP-1 (Uncoupling Protein-1) expression, which relates to thermogenesis. Therefore, this type of tissue is thought of as a reducer of obesity. White adipose tissue (WAT), on the other hand, saves energy and secretes adipokines to regulate energy homeostasis. (Choe et al. 2016) [2].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Overweight and obesity prevalence in school aged Mexican girls and boys. [9].
Figure 3
Figure 3
WHO and CDC Comparison (Boys).
Figure 4
Figure 4
WHO and CDC Comparison (Girls).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Comparison between average weight in the Mexican population (Alpízar, et al.) and the WHO reference in boys of 6–12 years of age.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Comparison between average weight in the Mexican population (Alpízar, et al) [7] and the WHO reference in girls of 6–12 years of age.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Comparison between results from Alpízar, et al. [7] and the proposed cutoffs for obesity using fat percentage in boys of 6–12 years of age.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Comparison between results from Alpízar, et al. [7] and the proposed cutoffs for obesity using fat percentage in girls of 6–12 years of age.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Proposed cutoffs for FMI in boys of 6-19 years of age.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Proposed cutoffs for FMI in girls of 6-19 years of age.
Figure 11
Figure 11
FMI for age in boys of 6–12 years of age.
Figure 12
Figure 12
FMI for age in girls of 6–12 years of age.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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