Optimal Cut-Off Values for Body Mass Index and Fat Mass Index Based on Age in Physically Active Males Using Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve

Abstract

This study aims to redefine obesity cut-off points for body mass index (BMI) and fat mass index (FMI) according to the different age groups of physically active males. Healthy physically active volunteers (N = 1442) aged 18–57 years (y), with a mean BMI = 22.7 ± 2.8 kg/m2, and mean FMI = 4.3 ± 1.7 kg/m2 were recruited from various fitness centers. BMI was calculated and individuals were categorized according to the Asia–Pacific BMI criterion of ≤22.9 kg/m2 and the previous WHO-guided BMI criterion of ≤24.9 kg/m2. FMI was also calculated for the study participants with a cut-off of 6.6 kg/m2. Redefining of BMI and FMI cut-off values was carried out based on different age groups categorized with a difference of 10 y and 5 y using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and Youden’s index. For the entire study population, BMI redefined cut-off points for overweight and obesity were 23.7 kg/m2 and 24.5 kg/m2, respectively, while FMI redefined cut-off points for overweight and obesity were 4.6 kg/m2 and 5.7 kg/m2, respectively. With 10 y of age group difference, a constant BMI and FMI values were observed, while with 5 y of age group difference, a constant increase in the BMI cut-offs was observed as the age group increased, i.e., from 23.3 kg/m2 in 20–24 y to 26.6 kg/m2 in ≥45 y and a similar trend was seen in FMI cut-offs. To conclude, our study suggests that age-dependent BMI and FMI cut-off points may provide appropriate measurements for physically active males as the age group increases.