5. Maintaining a healthy weight: I identify individuals maintaining a healthy weight through body mass index (BMI) calculations. A score of more than 25 is generally considered overweight (DHHS, 2000). Weight is selfreported at wave I but is measured by the interviewer at
waves II and III. Height is measured by the interviewer at all waves. and identify adolescent equivalences to adult BMI scores using international data from children and adults. I use this scale to assign individuals under age 18 a score of 1 if the respondent’s weight falls within the specified age and sex-specific healthy weight range. Those over 18 are assigned a score of 1 if his or her BMI is between 18.5 and 25, and 0 otherwise. Pregnant women (wave I n = 41, wave II n = 42, wave III n = 160) are automatically
assigned a score of 1 so as to not penalize them for the weight gain that is expected to occur during pregnancy.