Current formula for calculating body mass index is applicable to Asian populations

Body mass index (BMI, ratio of height and weight, expressed as kg/m 2 ) is widely used to define overweight and obesity across many countries, populations, races and ethnicities. It is obvious that weight and height are linked. Hence, to adjust for the proportion between height and weight, the use of BMI assumes that in a given population, weight scales to height squared. This assumption, as well as the thresholds for defining overweight (BMI between 25 to <30 kg/m 2 ) or obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m 2 ) have been derived from studying Caucasian population, hence may or may not apply to various other groups globally. In this issue of the journal, a team of researchers 1 including obesity researchers, mathematicians and anthropologist asked following three questions: “(1) Does weight scale to height squared in Asian Indians? (2) Does the weight-height relationship differ within different Asian populations (i.e. between Asian Indians and South Koreans)? and (3) Do BMI thresholds for overweight and obesity for South Koreans differ from those for Caucasians?”