BACKGROUND: 

A positive correlation is well established between obesity and predisposition of health risk to develop metabolic syndrome, hypertension, insulin resistance and other functional disorders.

OBJECTIVE.

To characterize the body composition, body fat percentage (%BF) and somatotype of the students of University of Latvia and document the percentage of overweigh, obese, and underweight students.

METHODS: 

To estimate the body composition, %BF and somatotype, we examined 489 students (ages 18 –25) of University of Latvia: 146 men and 343 women. Underweight, overweight and obesity was assessed by anthropometric and weight measurements, body mass index (BMI), skin folds measurement, and bioelectrical impedance analysis. Analyses were performed separately in men and women adjusted for age. Results were assessed according to the criteria of World Health Organization and American Council of Exercise.

RESULTS and DISCUSSION: 

The results show that by using different methods to establish the underweight, overweight and obesity, the results differ. BMI characterizing underweight (under 18,5) was obtained in 1.3% men and 7.5% women. BMI characterizing overweight and obesity (over 25) was obtained in 13.74% men and 12.7% women.

Though individual values of BF% determined by skin folds measurement and bioelectrical impedance analysis methods differ, our results show a correlation between body fat percentage determined by these both methods (r=0.79 for men, r=0.68 for women, p<0.001). Such difference in results using several measurement methods is acceptable. And each method's results are comparable using each method's evaluation scale.

The BF% criteria evaluated 31.8% of men and 32.3% of women as being slightly to acutely underweight. The BF% criteria evaluated 17.0% of men and 22.3% of women to have a %BF that indicates overweight. The BF% criteria evaluated 5.6% of men and 1.8% of women respectively as obese.

The leading somatotype estimated by anthropometric method for men as well for women is ectomorphic-mesomorph.

CONCLUSION: 

More than half of those tested have BF% evaluations outside of normal body fat level. Such results suggest either an increased health risk to more than half of those tested or it is necessary to specify the individual somatotypic feature in the evaluation of increased health risk factors. We suggest that a potential health risk group include only persons with an extreme increased or decreased BF% which characterizes obesity or malnutrition (approximately 5% of those studied). To specify the amount of health risk additional studies are required.