Weight-height indices and percent body fat among U.S. Navy divers

Weight, height, and other anthropometric measurements were obtained on a cohort of 194 U.S. Navy divers 20-42 years old. Percent body fat was computed for each man using an established prediction equation derived from a population of U.S. Marine Corps personnel whose age, height, and weight characteristics were comparable to those of the divers. Among the divers, weight, weight-height indices, and percent body fat increased across age strata. The body mass index (W/H2) was the best predictor of adiposity, as it had the highest correlation with percent body fat and the lowest correlation with height. Regression analysis quantified this relationship. The relative obesity of the divers (18.2% body fat) and the implications for using the body mass index as a measure of adiposity in the medical examination of divers are discussed.