What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate body composition in relation to body mass index across childhood and clarify the limitations of BMI as a marker of pediatric adiposity.

February 1, 2001PEDIATRICS

Childhood Body Composition in Relation to Body Mass Index

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Authors

LML. Michele MaynardCenters for Disease Control and Prevention WWWayne WisemandlePfizer (United States)ARAlex F. RocheUniversity of Delaware

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Implication

Longitudinal study reveals annual childhood BMI increases reflect lean mass gains rather than fat accumulation, highlighting the need to interpret pediatric BMI by age and sex.

Key Points

To evaluate body composition in relation to body mass index across childhood and clarify the limitations of BMI as a marker of pediatric adiposity.
Evaluated 1,748 annual examinations from 387 healthy, white children aged 8 to 18 years enrolled in the Fels Longitudinal Study, with each participant assessed 1 to 11 times.
Measured height and weight to calculate BMI, and used hydrodensitometry to determine total body fat (TBF) and fat-free mass (FFM) normalized to stature squared (TBF/stature² and FFM/stature²).
Correlations between BMI and body composition metrics were strong and statistically significant, with girls demonstrating significantly higher mean BMI values than boys at ages 12 to 13 years.
Annual childhood increases in BMI were driven primarily by expansions in fat-free mass rather than fat mass until late adolescence in both sexes, though fat mass contributed a larger proportion of BMI gains in girls than in boys.

Cite This Study

Maynard et al. (2001) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a0222ee950a93c470d8cc00 https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.107.2.344

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Implication

Longitudinal study reveals annual childhood BMI increases reflect lean mass gains rather than fat accumulation, highlighting the need to interpret pediatric BMI by age and sex.

Childhood Body Composition in Relation to Body Mass Index

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Childhood Body Composition in Relation to Body Mass Index

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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