Letters
Single definition of overweight and obesity should be used
BMJ 2001; 323 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.323.7319.999 (Published 27 October 2001) Cite this as: BMJ 2001;323:999
- Susan A Jebb, head of Nutrition and Health Research,
- Andrew M Prentice, professor
- MRC Human Nutrition Research, Elsie Widdowson Laboratory, Cambridge CB1 9NL
- MRC International Nutrition Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1B 3DP
EDITOR—In May 2000 the BMJ published details of a new reference standard for childhood obesity developed by the International Obesity Task Force.1 The task force's standards take a logical and pragmatic approach to the problem of defining the cut-off points of body mass index indicating overweight and obesity in children.
In adults these cut-off points are based on the morbidity and mortality associated with excess weight. In the absence of such data in children the task force defined the cut-off points for young people …
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