Differences in the U.S. Trends in the Prevalence of Obesity Based on Body Mass Index and Skinfold Thickness / Richard V. Burkhauser, John Cawley, Maximilian D. Schmeiser.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Burkhauser, Richard V.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Cawley, John.

Schmeiser, Maximilian D.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w15005.

NBER working paper series no. w15005

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2009.

Summary:

There are several ways to measure fatness and obesity, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. The primary measure for tracking the prevalence of obesity has historically been body mass index (BMI). This paper compares long-run trends in the prevalence of obesity when obesity is defined using skinfold thickness instead of body mass index (BMI), using data from the full series of U.S. National Health Examination Surveys. The results indicate that when one uses skinfold thicknesses rather than BMI to define obesity, the rise in the prevalence of obesity is detectable ten to twenty years earlier. This underscores the importance of examining multiple measures of fatness when monitoring or otherwise studying obesity.

Notes:

Print version record

May 2009.