Letter

Single definition of overweight and obesity should be used

BMJ 2001; 323 doi: 10.1136/bmj.323.7319.999 (Published 27 October 2001)
Cite this as: BMJ 2001;323:999.1

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  1. Susan A Jebb, head of Nutrition and Health Research,
  2. Andrew M Prentice, professor
  1. MRC Human Nutrition Research, Elsie Widdowson Laboratory, Cambridge CB1 9NL
  2. 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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