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Fat distribution in obese and nonobese children and adolescents
1E. U. de Ciencias de la Salud, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain.
Background:
It is not known whether fat deposition in obese children and adolescents occurs in the body's central or peripheral regions.
Methods:
A representative sample of children was drawn from the schools of Zaragoza, Spain. The population selected comprised 1728 children ranging in ages from 6 to 14.9 years. Of the original sample, 368 children (21.29%) were excluded because of chronic diseases or refusal to participate. The waist-to-hip circumference ratio and the triceps-to-subscapular skin-fold thickness ratio were calculated and served as indexes of body fat distribution. The children were divided into tertiles according to standard deviation score of body mass index.
Results:
Both in boys and in girls, waist-to-hip circumference ratio was higher in tertile 3 than in the other two tertiles, and triceps-to-subscapular skinfold thickness ratio was lower in tertile 3 than in the other two tertiles. Waist-to-hip circumference ratio was higher and triceps-to-subscapular skinfold thickness ratio was lower in obese than in nonobese children and adolescents of both sexes.
Conclusions:
Increased adiposity may be accompanied by an increase of fat depot in the abdominal region. In obese children and adolescents, fat deposition seems to occur in the body's central regions.