OBJECTIVES: To explore how fat, lean and body mass index (BMI) track in childhood and how this relates to parental obesity. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective population-based cohort study: Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, UK. METHOD: Height, weight and leg-to-leg bioelectrical impedance (BIA) were collected at ages 7 and 11 years, as well as pre-pregnancy parental heights and weights. For BMI International Obesity Task Force thresholds of obesity and overweight were used. Impedance data were expressed as separate lean and fat z scores, internally standardised for gender, height and age and a child was defined as over-fat if fat z score was >85th and very over-fat if >95th internal centile. RESULTS: Data were available for 7723 and 7252 children at ages 7 and 11 years, respectively (6066 at both time points). Of those obese at age 7, 75% were still obese at age 11, while of those who had been overweight 16% had become obese and 20% now had normal BMI. Both fat and lean z scores showed moderate levels of tracking (correlation coefficients 0.70 and 0.73, respectively). Children with one or two obese parents had higher fat z scores at age 7 and showed greater increases in fat thereafter. They were more likely to be very over-fat at age 7 and, of these, 69% remained so at age 11 compared to only 45% with non-obese parents (p <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Children of obese parents already have high fat levels at age 7 and are more likely to remain very over-fat.
OBJECTIVES: To explore how fat, lean and body mass index (BMI) track in childhood and how this relates to parental obesity. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective population-based cohort study: Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, UK. METHOD: Height, weight and leg-to-leg bioelectrical impedance (BIA) were collected at ages 7 and 11 years, as well as pre-pregnancy parental heights and weights. For BMI International Obesity Task Force thresholds of obesity and overweight were used. Impedance data were expressed as separate lean and fat z scores, internally standardised for gender, height and age and a child was defined as over-fat if fat z score was >85th and very over-fat if >95th internal centile. RESULTS: Data were available for 7723 and 7252 children at ages 7 and 11 years, respectively (6066 at both time points). Of those obese at age 7, 75% were still obese at age 11, while of those who had been overweight 16% had become obese and 20% now had normal BMI. Both fat and lean z scores showed moderate levels of tracking (correlation coefficients 0.70 and 0.73, respectively). Children with one or two obese parents had higher fat z scores at age 7 and showed greater increases in fat thereafter. They were more likely to be very over-fat at age 7 and, of these, 69% remained so at age 11 compared to only 45% with non-obese parents (p <0.001). CONCLUSIONS:Children of obese parents already have high fat levels at age 7 and are more likely to remain very over-fat.
Authors: Marsha D Marcus; Gary D Foster; Laure El Ghormli; Tom Baranowski; Linn Goldberg; Russell Jago; Barbara Linder; Allan Steckler; Roberto Treviño Journal: Pediatrics Date: 2012-03-19 Impact factor: 7.124
Authors: Nicholas C Harvey; Rebecca J Moon; Avan Aihie Sayer; Georgia Ntani; Justin H Davies; M Kassim Javaid; Sian M Robinson; Keith M Godfrey; Hazel M Inskip; Cyrus Cooper Journal: J Clin Endocrinol Metab Date: 2013-12-20 Impact factor: 5.958