CLINICAL TRIAL article

Front. Pediatr.

Sec. Pediatric Obesity

Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fped.2025.1597309

This article is part of the Research TopicNovel Approaches to Diet, Exercise, and Drugs in Childhood Obesity and Metabolic DiseasesView all 6 articles

Evaluating the New 2025 Obesity Classification Framework in Pediatric Athletes: A Comparative Study with Traditional BMI-Based Classification

Provisionally accepted
NORMA  CIPATLI AYUZO DEL VALLENORMA CIPATLI AYUZO DEL VALLE1,2*Perla  Pérez-TreviñoPerla Pérez-Treviño2Ana Carla  Cepeda LopezAna Carla Cepeda Lopez2,3Regina M  Murillo-TorresRegina M Murillo-Torres1Elena  Cristina CastilloElena Cristina Castillo2Diego  Gutierrez-CantuDiego Gutierrez-Cantu1Oscar  Tamez-RiveraOscar Tamez-Rivera1,2Mayela  Paez FloresMayela Paez Flores1Isabella  Flores-AyuzoIsabella Flores-Ayuzo1Luis Alberto  LuévanoLuis Alberto Luévano2Sergio  Javier Fernandez OrtizSergio Javier Fernandez Ortiz1,4Noemí  GarcíaNoemí García2Leonardo  Mancillas-AdameLeonardo Mancillas-Adame2
  • 1Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud Tec Salud, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
  • 2Institute for Obesity Research, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
  • 3Assistant Professor of Nutrition, School of Mathematics, Science and Engineering, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio Texas, United States
  • 4Hospital Zambrano Hellion TecSalud, San Pedro Garza García, Nuevo León4, Mexico

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Background:Traditional Body Mass Index based obesity classification presents limitations in pediatric populations, particularly among physically active children. The 2025 Obesity Classification Framework proposed by The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology Commission integrates body fat distribution and metabolic biomarkers, aiming to enhance diagnostic accuracy in pediatric obesity. Methods:We evaluated 111 physically active children (aged 5-11 years) from the Monterrey Football League in Mexico using both the traditional BMI-based classification and the new 2025 Obesity Classification Framework, which incorporates body composition (measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis), waist-to-height ratio, and metabolic biomarkers. Each participant was classified with both frameworks, and outcomes were compared against metabolic risk markers. Normality was assessed using the Shapiro-Wilk test. Non-normally distributed variables (fat mass, visceral fat, triglycerides, creatinine, and pCr) were analyzed using non-parametric tests, while parametric tests were applied for normally distributed data. Agreement between classifications was determined using Cohen's kappa coefficient. Results: Agreement between classifications was moderate (κ = 0.532, P < 0.001). Using the new framework, 20 children previously classified as overweight by BMI were reclassified as having preclinical obesity, reflecting excess adiposity previously unrecognized. Conversely, four participants initially categorized as obese by BMI were reclassified as non-obese, reflecting elevated lean mass rather than adiposity. Participants categorized as having preclinical obesity exhibited significantly higher levels of LDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B compared to non-obese peers. Conclusions: The 2025 Obesity Classification Framework provides greater precision than traditional BMI-based assessments by effectively differentiating between excess adiposity and increased lean mass in physically active children. Although bioelectrical impedance analysis was selected due to its practicality, cost-effectiveness, and non-invasiveness, it has inherent measurement variability compared to dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Future research validating these results against DXA or other reference standards is recommended. Adopting this comprehensive assessment strategy may facilitate earlier and more targeted interventions for children at risk of obesity-related complications.

Keywords: pediatric obesity 1, body mass index 2, metabolic health 3, childhood nutrition 4, physical activity 5, body composition 6

Received: 21 Mar 2025; Accepted: 28 Apr 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 AYUZO DEL VALLE, Pérez-Treviño, Cepeda Lopez, Murillo-Torres, Castillo, Gutierrez-Cantu, Tamez-Rivera, Paez Flores, Flores-Ayuzo, Luévano, Fernandez Ortiz, García and Mancillas-Adame. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: NORMA CIPATLI AYUZO DEL VALLE, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud Tec Salud, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico

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