[Current status and changing trends of body mass index among Chinese adults from 1982 to 2015]

To analyze the current status and changing trends of body mass index(BMI) among Chinese adults.

Data on height and weight of adults from five China Nutrition Surveys/Monitoring conducted between 1982 and 2015 were analyzed to assess the current status and trends of BMI among Chinese adults.

In 1982, the average BMI for adult males and females in China was 21.06 and 21.32, respectively. By 2015, the average BMI for adult males and females had risen to 24.25 and 23.89, respectively. The increase in BMI was greater for males than for females, particularly among young and middle-aged males. For females, the increase in BMI was more pronounced with age, especially in women over 60. Before 2002, adult men had a lower BMI than women, but this trend began to change after 2002, and by 2015, the average BMI of men aged 18-45 was higher than that of women. The peak BMI for males occurred around the age of 45, while for females, it occurred around the age of 60.

The BMI of males and females in China has been steadily increasing, with a greater rise observed in males than in females.