Comparison of body mass indices of freshman students of Kyusyu Sangyo University between actual value and value derived from self-desired body weight

Abstract

Body mass index (BMI) of freshman students were analyzed at Kyushu Sangyo university (female 6,356, male 14,446) from 2016 to 2023. The BMI categories were as follows. Thin (underweight); BMI<18.5, Normal range; 18.5≤BMI<25.0, Obese; 25.0≤BMI, based on Japan Society for the Study of Obesity. Furthermore, we subdivided Normal range into two categories; Normal with 18.5≤BMI<22.0 and Normal with 22.0≤BMI<25.0. As a whole, both in female and male students, the lower the actual BMI the stronger desire to gain body weight, and on the contrary, the higher the actual BMI the stronger desire to lose body weight. In female students, 18.9% think that BMI<18.5 is suitable, while in male students, 4.1% think so. More than half of the students who think that BMI<18.5 is suitable have actual BMI of less than 18.5. Among those with actual BMI<18.5, 190 female and 83 male students answered that less value of suitable BMI than the actual value. We, however, could not make the characteristic of these students clear other than the low desired BMI. When we compared before and during COVID-19 pandemic, the actual BMI was distributed to lower categories, suggesting that the changes of lifestyle and health awareness were reflected on their BMI.