Fat patterning of adolescents: Allometry of fatfolds

The relationship between fatfold thickness and fat mass of 101 male and 66 female adolescents (10-16 yr) was examined with the allometric equation y = bx^a . Body composition was assessed by underwater weighing and 5 fatfolds were measured: triceps, subscapular, suprailiac, abdominal, and thigh. Percent body fat ranged from 4.9% to 56.1%. The log of each fatfold thickness was plotted versus the log of fat mass. All the relationships were linear and exhibited monophasic allometry. All the alpha coefficients (slope of the log-log plots) exhibited positive allometry. The prepubescent male and female alphas were similar and had the same pattern. The pattern contrasted the trunk with the extremity fatfolds. No differences (P > .05) were found between the alphas for the pubescent males. The triceps alpha of the pubescent females was less (P < .05) than the subscapular, suprailiac, and abdominal alphas. The thigh, subscapular, suprailiac, and abdominal alphas were not significantly (P > .05) different. In conclusion, the trunk was the predominant site of subcutaneous fat deposition for prepubescents, while pubescents exhibit a more general pattern of fat distribution. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.