[Adipose tissue composition in puberty and postpuberty according to age, sex (gender), physical activity and...

The study involved 110 adolescents from 15 to 22 years (35 boys, 75 girls). To assess eating habits and physical activity we used WHO questionnaires. We also analyzed anthropometry, bioimpedance data, parameters of the cardiovascular system: systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate. It has been shown, that body mass index (BMI) in adolescents didn’t correlate with the content of both total and visceral adipose tissue in the body and shoud not be used as a major diagnostic criterion of obesity. An excessive content of total adipose tissue was shown in 15% of the puberty and postpuberty teens. Visceral fat content was significantly higher in male, than female (3.03±3.31 vs 2.11±1.57%), independently of the total fat percentage (18.91±16.83 and 31.72±19.24% respectively). The visceral fat in the body begins to increase in age of 16. According to the authors, such an effect in boys and girls is associated with the final changes of puberty (concentration of sex steroids). Such hormons like testosterone and progesterone and estradiol have different effects on the white adipose tissue and play a key role in proceses of its differentiation and metabolism. Percentage of total adipose tissue depends on dietary habits in the first place – the predominance of fast food. A significant relationship of physical activity and the percentage of visceral fat was shown.