Resting metabolic rate and body composition in stunted and nonstunted children.

The resting metabolic rate (RMR) and body composition of 34 stunted children (height-for-age < or = 1.5 SD) aged 7-8 y were compared with that of two groups of nonstunted control subjects (height-for-age > or = -1.0 SD) matched for either age and sex or height and sex. No significant group differences were found in percentage lean body mass (LBM). The RMR of the stunted children (4702 +/- 570 kJ/d) was significantly lower than that of both the age-matched (5802 +/- 616 kJ/d) and height-matched (5269 +/- 663 kJ/d) groups (ANOVA, P < 0.001). However, in a multiple-regression model including sex and LBM, the RMRs of the stunted and age-matched groups were not significantly different, suggesting that the stunted children's smaller LBM accounted for their lower RMR. This suggests that the composition and metabolic activity of the LBM is unaffected by stunting. The younger, height-matched control subjects had significantly higher RMRs than the stunted children after adjustment for LBM (P < 0.001). This may have been due to age-related changes in the composition of LBM.