A cross-sectional study of the association of Body Mass Index and Physical Fitness Index of college students of Madpur region of West Midnapore district of West Bengal, India

Abstract

Physical Fitness Index (PFI) is a measure of the fitness of an individual. PFI reflects the cardiopulmonary status of an individual and his ability to recover after exercising. On the other hand Body mass Index (BMI) is an index for determining the stage of obesity and it is also used as a cardiopulmonary risk assessment factor. BMI is evaluated using weight and height of an individual. BMI is an index which is age and sex independent and a known epidemiological marker of nutritional status of adolescents. International obesity task force (IOTF-2000) has proposed the standards for adult’s obesity in Asia and India as follows: A cut off point of 18.5 kg/m is used to define thinness or acute under nutrition and a BMI of 23 kg/m indicates over nutrition. A BMI of over 25 kg/m refers to obesity. In this study we have checked if there exists any significant interrelationship of PFI and BMI of the college students of Madpur Region of West Midnapore District of West Bengal, India.