Application of adiposity indices to a sample of physically active individuals living in the city of Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil

OBJECTIVE:To compare adiposity indexes in physical activity individuals to evaluate behavior, diagnostic ability and to determine which parameter best reflects and diagnoses body fatness.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed on 100 physically active individuals (59% female).The participants were submitted to anthropometric and body composition evaluation; we measured weight, height, circumferences, blood pressure and bioelectrical impedance analysis.A physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ, short version) was applied, as well as a questionnaire about the possible use of nutritional supplementation.The data were statistically analyzed, with significance level set at p <0.05.RESULTS: Mean age, height, weight and BMI were 24.2 ± 6.65 years, 169.5 ± 8.94 cm, 69.1 ± 14.83 kg and 23.9 ± 4.19 kg/m 2 , respectively, with a significant difference between the genders, except for age.Most of the subjects were in the normal weight range, with a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m 2 , and were very active.BMIfat correlated better with body fat for males (r = 0.896) and females (r = 0.935), followed by BMI (0.689 and 0.767, respectively) and BAI (0.590 and 0.718).CONCLUSIONS: Adiposity indexes are viable alternatives for the diagnosis of obesity and should be more explored as fast, practical and low cost measures in clinical practice.