[Early maturation: a risk factor of overweight and obesity during puberty?]

In the Caracas Longitudinal Study, 147 boys and 111 girls--8 to 16 years of age--who had been classified as early, average and late maturers, were analyzed in the context of risk of overweight and obesity. Differences in Body Mass Index (BMI), Arm Circumference (AC), Triceps and Subscapular Skinfolds (TRSK, SSSK) were assessed with an analysis of variance. A significant gradient early > average > late was found girls in all variables throughout follow-up and in AC in boys between 8 and 15 years of age and in BMI until age 11, although early maturers were significantly heavier at all ages. Skinfolds, in boys, presented this significant gradient up to age 11, while in girls it was found in TRSK between ages 8 and 15 and in SSSK between ages 11 and 15. Further analysis of sum of skinfolds, Arm Muscle Area (AMA) and Arm Fat Area (AFA) resulted in significant maturity gradients in girls for all the variables while, in boys, AMA presented this gradient up to age 15, whereas no gradients in and AFA were found from age 12 onwards. Early maturers of both sexes are at risk of overweight; girls are at risk of obesity throughout puberty and boys at prepuberty and early puberty only.