Statistical methods for body mass index: a selective review of the literature

Obesity rates have been increasing over recent decades, causing significant concern among policy makers. Excess body fat, commonly measured by body mass index (BMI), is a major risk factor for several common disorders including diabetes and cardiovascular disease, placing a substantial burden on health care systems. % Body mass index (BMI) is one indicator for excess body fat. To guide effective public health action, we need to understand the complex system of intercorrelated influences on BMI. This paper will review both classical and modern statistical methods for BMI analysis, highlighting that most of the classical methods are simple and easy to implement but ignore the complexity of data and structure, whereas modern methods do take complexity into consideration but can be difficult to implement. A series of case studies are presented to illustrate these methods and some potentially useful new models are suggested.