Assessment of overweight and obesity in Iranian adolescents: optimal cut-off values of anthropometric indices.

Background: Various indices have been used to estimate overweight and obesity; all have limitations and strengths. The prevalence of overweight and obesity may differ by ethnicity.

Aims: This study evaluated waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHpR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and neck circumference (NC) as reliable alternatives to body mass index for screening for overweight and obesity, and determined their optimum cut-off values in different ethnic groups.