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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

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High energy expenditure is not protective against increased adiposity in children

S R J Zinkel1,2, R I Berkowitz3, A J Stunkard3

  • 1University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Nutritional Sciences.

Pediatric Obesity
|February 25, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Low total energy expenditure (TEE) in early childhood does not predict excess weight at age 8. This study found no link between early-life TEE and later obesity risk in children, regardless of maternal obesity status.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Obesity Research
  • Child Development

Background:

  • Low total energy expenditure (TEE) is a potential contributor to childhood excess weight.
  • Longitudinal data on TEE and its predictive value for obesity are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if low TEE in the first six years of life predicts excess weight status at age eight.
  • To investigate the relationship between early-life TEE and later obesity development in children at varying risk levels.

Main Methods:

  • Measured TEE using doubly labeled water in children from 0.25 to 6 years.
  • Assessed weight, stature, waist circumference, fat mass, and fat-free mass (FFM).
  • Utilized a linear mixed effects model to analyze TEE, accounting for individual variation and calculating residual TEE.

Main Results:

  • Fat-free mass (FFM) strongly correlated with TEE (R² = 0.91); waist circumference and sex were also significant TEE predictors.
  • Residual TEE demonstrated individual tracking over time.
  • Residual TEE did not correlate with BMI or body fat percentage at age 8.

Conclusions:

  • The residual TEE approach did not identify early-life TEE levels that predict excess weight at age 8.
  • Early-life TEE, as measured by this method, does not appear to be a significant predictor of obesity in this cohort.
  • Findings suggest other factors beyond early TEE influence obesity development in children at high and low risk.
Abstract

Keywords:
body compositionchildrendietary energyenergy expendituregrowthobesity

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