M Siervo1, B C M Stephan, A Colantuoni, J C K Wells. 1. Nutrition Physiology, Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, University "Federico II", via Pansini 5, 80100, Napoli, Italy. masiervo@yahoo.com
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Birth order has been associated with variability in early life growth and subsequent obesity risk, but the consequent metabolic risks have not been assessed. OBJECTIVE: To quantify the metabolic risk in young adulthood of being first-born relative to those born second or subsequently. METHODS: Body composition, resting metabolic rate and metabolic risk were assessed in 383 women, aged 18-35 years, from a clinical setting in southern Italy. RESULTS: First-borns had increased body mass index, adiposity and metabolic risk (p<0.05) and increased resting metabolic rate adjusted for fat-free mass (p<0.05) in the Italian women. CONCLUSION: First-born status is associated with significantly elevated metabolic risk in a clinical population of overweight and obese young women attending a weight loss clinic. If these findings are confirmed in other studies, they may suggest that the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome worldwide may increase as a function of the trend to smaller family size.
BACKGROUND: Birth order has been associated with variability in early life growth and subsequent obesity risk, but the consequent metabolic risks have not been assessed. OBJECTIVE: To quantify the metabolic risk in young adulthood of being first-born relative to those born second or subsequently. METHODS: Body composition, resting metabolic rate and metabolic risk were assessed in 383 women, aged 18-35 years, from a clinical setting in southern Italy. RESULTS: First-borns had increased body mass index, adiposity and metabolic risk (p<0.05) and increased resting metabolic rate adjusted for fat-free mass (p<0.05) in the Italian women. CONCLUSION: First-born status is associated with significantly elevated metabolic risk in a clinical population of overweight and obese young women attending a weight loss clinic. If these findings are confirmed in other studies, they may suggest that the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome worldwide may increase as a function of the trend to smaller family size.
Authors: V Boschi; M Siervo; G Nasti; E Trapanese; P D'Orsi; E Augelli; A Papa; N Margiotta; O Bellini; C Falconi Journal: Eat Weight Disord Date: 2002-12 Impact factor: 4.652
Authors: Ulf Ekelund; Ken K Ong; Yvonné Linné; Martin Neovius; Søren Brage; David B Dunger; Nicholas J Wareham; Stephan Rössner Journal: J Clin Endocrinol Metab Date: 2006-10-10 Impact factor: 5.958
Authors: Jonathan C K Wells; Delan Devakumar; Dharma S Manandhar; Naomi Saville; S S Chaube; A Costello; David Osrin Journal: Eur J Clin Nutr Date: 2018-08-28 Impact factor: 4.016
Authors: L D Howe; P C Hallal; A Matijasevich; J C Wells; I S Santos; A J D Barros; D A Lawlor; C G Victora; G D Smith Journal: Int J Obes (Lond) Date: 2013-10-07 Impact factor: 5.095