Obesity during childhood and adolescence augments bone mass and bone dimensions

Studies of the effect of childhood obesity on bone accrual during growth have yielded conflicting results, largely related to the failure to adequately characterize the confounding effects of growth, maturation, and body composition.

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of childhood obesity on skeletal mass and dimensions relative to height, body composition, and maturation in males and females.

In 132 nonobese (body mass index < 85th percentile) and 103 obese (body mass index > or = 95th percentile) subjects aged 4-20 y, whole-body and vertebral bone mineral content (BMC) was determined by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and bone area, areal bone mineral density (BMD), and fat and lean masses were measured. Vertebral volumetric BMD was estimated as BMC/area(1.5).

Obesity was associated with greater height-for-age, advanced maturation for age, and greater lean mass for height (all P < 0.001). Sex-specific multivariate regressions with adjustment for maturation showed that obesity was associated with greater vertebral areal BMD for height, greater volumetric BMD, and greater vertebral BMC for bone area (all P < 0.05). After adjustment for maturation and lean mass, obesity was associated with significantly greater whole-body bone area and BMC for age and for height (all P < 0.001).

In contrast with the results of prior studies, obesity during childhood and adolescence was associated with increased vertebral bone density and increased whole-body bone dimensions and mass. These differences persisted after adjustment for obesity-related increases in height, maturation, and lean mass. Future studies are needed to determine the effect of these differences on fracture risk.