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Resting energy expenditure, adiponectin and changes in body composition of young children (EarlyBird 34)

Joanne Hosking1, Brad S Metcalf, Alison N Jeffery

  • 1Department of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Peninsula Medical School, Plymouth campus, UK.

International Journal of Pediatric Obesity : IJPO : an Official Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity
|September 14, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Resting energy expenditure (REE) and adiponectin levels do not predict weight gain in young children. Adiponectin showed a slight inverse association with fat-free mass gain in boys.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Metabolic Health
  • Childhood Obesity Research

Background:

  • Serum adiponectin levels correlate inversely with adiposity and resting energy expenditure (REE) in adults.
  • Childhood obesity is a growing concern, yet associations between adiponectin, REE, and weight gain in children are poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationships between resting energy expenditure (REE), adiponectin levels, and weight gain in young children.
  • To determine if REE or adiponectin predict future weight gain or changes in body composition in early childhood.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 151 healthy children, measuring adiponectin, REE, fat-free mass (FFM), and fat mass (FM) at ages 6.9 and 7.9 years.
  • Adiponectin measured by ELISA, REE by indirect calorimetry, and body composition by DEXA.

Main Results:

  • No significant correlations were found between REE and adiponectin at either measurement point in boys or girls.
  • REE at 6.9 years did not predict subsequent weight gain or adverse changes in body composition.
  • Adiponectin at 6.9 years showed an inverse association with FFM gain in boys (r=-0.27, p=0.02), but no significant correlation with overall weight change.

Conclusions:

  • The established relationship between adiponectin and REE is not yet apparent in young children.
  • REE does not appear to be a significant predictor of future weight gain or adverse body composition changes in this age group.
  • Adiponectin is unlikely to confound the relationship between REE and weight gain in healthy young children, despite a limited follow-up period.

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