For more than a decade, researchers in the field of obesity have debated the value of the BMI as the most common and convenient index for classifying the obese condition. The implications of using BMI are profound. The cut-off points of BMI of <18.5 kg/m 2 , 18.5–24.9 kg/m 2 , 25.0–29.9 kg/m 2 , 30.0–34.9 kg/m 2 , 35.0–39.9 kg/m 2 and 40.0+ kg/m 2 define categories usually referred to as underw...

OBJECTIVE To assess body mass index (BMI [kg/m2]) tracking over a four-year period in 4- to 8-year-old Mexican American (MA) children and to explore associations between mother and child's BMI. DESIGN A longitudinal study design was used to assess 138 subjects (69 MA children and 69 MA mothers). Children were classified as normal weight if age- and sex-specific BMI was < 85th percentile and o...