RESUMO
Objective To investigate the relation between body mass index(BMI),skinfolds(SF)and relative weight(RW),arm girth(AG) and ag e of the children in order to look for the most suitable index used to diagnose children obesity in clinical work.Methods In 1496 healthy children (ranging from 1 to 13 years),their weight, height,AG, triceps skinfold(TSF), sub scapular skinfold(SSF) and abdominal skinfold(ASF) were measured and the relat ion of BMI,SF,RW,AG and age was analyzed.Results 1.Between BMI and the sum of three skinfolds(SF3) ,RW,AG,correlation coefficient was more t han 0.8(P＜0.001).2. With the increase of age, AG and ASF increase wh ile TSF and BMI decrease. 3.Skinfolds in girls of 3～6,12 years of age are thicker t han those in boys;BMI in boys of 8,9 years of age are higher than those in girls .Conc lusions 1.95 percentile of BMI and SF3 as index to diagnose children obes ity is better than single application of RW or one-site skinfold. 2. With the i ncrease of age, AG and abdominal fat increase, but triceps and total fat of body relatively decrease. 3. Fats in girls develop faster than in boys.