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Unlabelled: The aim of this study was to derive the mean and +/-1, 2 and 2.5 SD body mass index (BMI) reference ranges as a supplement to the BMI centile reference values published previously for the same group of Japanese children. It is based on 14,012 boys and 13,781 girls of 1.5-18.5 years of age as studied in 1978-1981. The LMS method was utilized for the study., Conclusions: The BMI-SD reference values and charts presented have appropriately reflected the age-dependent skewed distribution of BMI values, and could be a useful tool in growth and nutritional evaluation of Japanese children.

The aim of this study was to set forth an age-dependent percentile for waist circumference of Japanese children and to compare the reference with data from other countries. We utilized the 1992-1994 cross-sectional national survey data on waist circumference as measured at two benchmark sites in 10,614 Japanese children (5,851 boys, 4,763 girls) aged 6.0-18.0 years for constructing the reference by the LMS method. Japanese children had smaller waist circumference percentile values as compared to those of Dutch and US children, but had comparable or larger percentile values as compared to those of UK children. We suspect that the observed ethnic differences may be in part due to the differences in benchmark in waist circumference measurements in each country. We present for the first time an age-dependent percentile for waist circumference for Japanese children. It is mandatory to standardize a benchmark site for waist circumference for more meaningful international comparison.

Background: The prevalence of overweight among Japanese children and adolescents has steadily increased during the last 20 years. Thus, we utilized the 1978-1981 data collected by the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry to construct reference curves of body mass index (BMI) for contemporary Japanese children and adolescents., Methods: BMI reference values were derived using the LMS method as based on height and weight data from the cross-sectional national survey of Japanese children and adolescents conducted in 1978-1981 (14,012 boys and 13 781 girls, aged 1.5-18.5 years)., Results: The Japanese BMI reference curves were constructed for clinical use. The centile values at the upper end of the spectrum apparently differed in British, Dutch, Japanese, and US children and adolescents. In contrast, the centile values at the lower end of the spectrum nearly overlapped with each other in the four populations., Conclusions: Overweight is concentrated in a subgroup of children and does not occur across the entire population of British, Dutch, Japanese, and US children, indicating a subgroup of genetically and/or environmentally more susceptible children in each country.