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Because of the numerous advantages of using BMI-for-age for assessing
overweight in children and adolescents, expert committees and advisory
groups have recommended BMI-for-age as the accepted measure. Published
references are listed on the slide. Briefly, the background on
recommendations to use BMI-for-age follow:
- In 1994, an expert committee on Clinical Guidelines for Overweight
in Adolescent Preventive Services was convened to provide advice on
the development of Bright Futures: National Guidelines for Health
Supervision of Infants, Children and Adolescents and Guidelines
for Adolescent Preventive Services (GAPS). The committee
recommended that BMI-for-age be used to routinely screen for
overweight in adolescents.
- In 1997, a consensus panel recommended that BMI for age be used
routinely to screen children for overweight. They also recommended
cutpoints of between the 85th and 95th percentiles to identify
children and adolescents as at risk of overweight and at or above the
95th percentile to identify children and adolescents as overweight.
(Barlow and Dietz, 1998).
- Also, in 1997, an international conference convened by the
International Obesity Task Force concluded that BMI is a reasonable
measure for assessing overweight in children and adolescents
worldwide. (Dietz and Bellizzi, 1999; Bellizzi and Dietz, 1999).
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