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Body composition in adolescents with anorexia nervosa
Kate P Kerruish1, Janice O'Connor, Ian R J Humphries
1Human Nutrition Unit and the Department of Biochemistry, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|January 5, 2002
Summary
Adolescent females with anorexia nervosa show depleted body fat and protein. Simple anthropometric measures like triceps skinfold thickness, BMI, and weight effectively assess body composition in these patients.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Science
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Body Composition Analysis
Background:
- Anorexia nervosa (AN) in adolescents leads to significant depletion of both fat and fat-free mass.
- Understanding body composition alterations is crucial for managing AN patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare body composition in adolescent females with AN versus healthy controls.
- To evaluate the correlation between simple anthropometric measurements and advanced body composition techniques.
Main Methods:
- Utilized anthropometry, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) for body fat, and neutron activation analysis for total body nitrogen (TBN).
- Included 23 adolescent females with AN and 25 control subjects for DXA data.
- Compared TBN measurements with established prediction equations.
Main Results:
- AN patients exhibited significantly lower weight, BMI, body fat percentage (DXA), and TBN percentage compared to controls.
- Significant correlations were observed between triceps skinfold thickness, BMI, and body weight with body fat and TBN in AN patients.
Conclusions:
- Hospitalized adolescent females with AN experience substantial depletion of total body fat and protein.
- Triceps skinfold thickness, BMI, and body weight are reliable anthropometric indicators for assessing body composition and nutritional status in malnourished adolescents with AN.