Role of Body Mass Index in Better Evaluation of Obesity

The prevalence of severe obesity among children and young adults has increased over the past decade. The identification and monitoring of the amount of body fat have been receiving special attention in aspects related to health promotion, not just for its actions in the prevention and in the control of cardiovascular diseases but also for their induction and association with risk factors, especially in the plasmatic lipid levels and arterial pressure. The relationship between body mass index (BMI) with the blood pressure levels (systolic and diastolic) and serum lipids (TC, HDL-c, LDL-c, VLDL-c, TG) was investigated. In a group of sixty men (aged 18 to 26 years old), obesity was detected in 5 and 19 men by BMI (≥ 30 kg/m2). BMI was positively correlated with blood pressure (systolic and diastolic). Moreover, BMI was significantly correlated with all lipids and lipoprotein fractions VLDL-c and triglyceride. The associated use of BMI to better evaluate obesity may improve the study of blood pressure levels and serum lipid changes that are commonly associated with obesity.