Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Paper
  • Published:

Validating a practical approach to determine weight control in obese children and adolescents

International Journal of Obesity volume 24, pages 1648–1652 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To study the usefulness of a mathematical index for assessing changes in body composition of obese children and adolescents who undergo a weight control program.

DESIGN: A short-term longitudinal (mean of 19 months) cohort study.

SUBJECTS: Sixty-seven obese children and adolescents (38 M, 29 F, age 6–16 (mean 11) y) who took part in a clinic-based weight control program.

MEASUREMENTS: Percentage body fat was assessed at the start of the program by underwater weighing (UWW) and by bioelectrical impedance (BIA). Response to the program was assessed by a mathematical index (MI), based on observed and expected changes in height and weight, and by changes in percentage fat as measured by BIA.

RESULTS: Adiposity, as assessed by BIA at the start of the program, was highly correlated to that obtained by UWW (r=0.96 for fat-free mass). Changes in the MI over the program were correlated fairly well (r=−0.81, SEE=3.57 kg) with changes in percentage fat as assessed by BIA.

CONCLUSION: Using change in BIA as criterion, the MI is valid for assessing changes in percentage body fat of obese children and adolescents over time. This index is of use to clinicians who lack body composition equipment and need a quick method to analyze the effectiveness of a weight control program in obese children and adolescents.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Popkin BM, Doak CM . The obesity epidemic is a worldwide phenomenon Nutr Rev 1998 56: 106–114.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. World Health Organization . Global prevalence and secular trends in obesity. In Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic. Report of a WHO Consultation on Obesity. WHO: Geneva 1998, pp 17–40.

  3. Troiano RP, Flegal KM, Kuczmarski RJ, Campbell SM, Johnson CL . Overweight prevalence and trends for children and adolescents Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 1995 149: 1085–1091.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Troiano RP, Flegal KM . Overweight children and adolescents: description, epidemiology and demographics Pediatrics 1998 101 (Suppl): S497–S504.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Wile K, McIntyre L . The management of childhood obesity Can J Pediat 1993 52: 188–196.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Martin AD, Ward R . Body composition. In Measurement in Pediatric Exercise Science Human Kinetics: Vancouver 1996.

  7. Gibson RS . Principles of Nutritional Assessment Oxford University Press: New York 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Reilly JJ, Wilson J, Durnin JVGA . Determination of body composition from skinfold thickness: a validation study Arch Dis Child 1995 73: 305–310.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Van den Broeck J, Wit JM . Anthropometry and body composition in children Horm Res 1997 48 (Suppl 1): 33–42.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Bray GA, Gray DS . Anthropometrics measurements in the obese. In: Lohman TG, Roche AF, Martorell R (eds) Anthropometric Standardization Reference Manual Human Kinetics: Champaign, IL 1988, pp 131–136.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Van Itallie TB, Segal KR, Yang M, Funk RC . Clinical assessment of body fat content in adults: potential role of electrical impedance methods. In: Roche AF (ed) Body Composition Assessments in Youth and Adults Ross Laboratories: Columbus, OH 1985, pp 5–9.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Wabitsch K, Braun U, Heinze E, Muche R, Mayer H, Teller W, Fusch C . Body composition in 5–18-y-old obese children and adolescents before and after weight reduction as assessed by deuterium dilution and bioelectrical impedance analysis Am J Clin Nutr 1996 64: 1–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Boileau, RA . Body composition assessment in children and youths. In: Bar-Or O (ed) The Child and Adolescent Athlete Blackwell Science: London 1996, pp 523–537.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Health and Welfare Canada . Canada's food guide for healthy eating Queen's Printer For Ontario: Ottawa 1993.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Hammer LD, Kraemer HC, Wilson DM, Ritter PL, Dornbusch SM . Standardized Percentile curves of body-mass index for children and adolescents Am J Dis Child 1991 145: 259–263.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Houtkooper LB, Lohman TG, Going SB, Hall MC . Validity of bioelectric impedance for body composition assessment in children J Appl Physiol 1989 66: 814–821.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Lohman TG . Applicability of body composition techniques and constants for children and youth Exerc Sport Sci Rev 1986 14: 325–357.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Hammill PVV, Drizid TA, Johnson CL, Reed RB, Roche AF . Physical growth: National Center For Health Statistics percentiles Am J Clin Nutr 1979 32: 607–629.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Neumann CG . In: Jeliffe DB, Jellife EFP (eds) Nutrition and Growth Plenum Press: New York 1979.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Bland JM, Altman DG . Statistical methods for assessing agreement between two methods of clinical measurement Lancet 1986 1: 307–310.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Deurenberg P, Westrate JA, Van Der Kooy K . Body composition changes assessed by bioelectrical impedance measurements Am J Clin Nutr 1989 49: 401–413.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Carella MJ, Rodgers CD, Anderson D, Gossain VV . Serial measurements of body composition in obese subjects during a very-low-energy diet (VLED) comparing bioelectrical impedance with hydrodensitometry Obes Res 1997 5: 250–256.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Deurenberg P, Westrate JA, Hautvast JG . Changes in fat-free mass during weight loss measured by bioelectrical impedance and by densitometry Am J Clin Nutr 1989 49: 33–36.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Kushner RF, Kunigk A, Alspaugh M, Andronis PT, Leitch CA, Schoeller DA . Validations of bioelectrical-impedance as a measurement of change in body composition in obesity Am J Clin Nutr 1990 52: 219–223.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Cordain L, Whicker RE, Johnson JE . Body composition determination in children using bioelectrical impedance Growth Dev Aging 1988 52: 37–40.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Deurenberg P, Van Der Kooy K, Paling A, Withagen P . Assessment of body composition in 8–11 y-old children by bioelectrical impedance Eur J Clin Nutr 1989 43: 623–629.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Brodie DA, Eston RG . Body fat estimations by electrical impedance and infra-red interactance Int J Sports Med 1992 13: 319–325.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Wu Y-T, Neilsen DK, Cassady SL, Cook JS, Janz KF, Hansen JR . Cross-validation of bioelectrical impedance analysis of body composition in children and adolescents Phys Ther 1993 73: 320–328.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Segal KR, Gutin B, Presta E, Wang J, Van Itallie T . Estimation of human body composition by electrical impedance methods: a comparative study J Appl Physiol 1985 58: 1565–1571.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Segal KR, VanLoan M, Van Itallie TB . Lean body mass estimation by bioelectrical impedance analysis: a four-site cross-validation study Am J Clin Nutr 1988 47: 7–14.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. National Institutes of Health . Bioelectrical impedance analysis in body composition measurement technology assessment conference statement NIH: Columbus, OH 1994.

  32. Deurenberg P . Limitations of the bioelectrical impedance method for the assessment of body fat in severe obesity Am J Clin Nutr 1996 64 (Suppl 3): 449S–452S.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Battistini N, Brambilla P, Virgili F, Simone P, Bedogni G, Morini P, Chiumello G . The prediction of total body water from impedance in young obese subjects Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1992 16: 207–212.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Bedogni G, Bollea MR, Severi S, Trunfio O, Manzieri AM, Battistini N . The prediction of total body water and extracellular water from bioelectric impedance in obese children Eur J Clin Nutr 1997 51: 129–133.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Davies PSW, Preece MA, Hicks CJ, Halliday D . The prediction of total body water using bioelectrical impedance in children and adolescents Ann Hum Biol 1988 15: 237–240.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Houtkooper LB, Lohman TG, Howell WH . Why bioelectrical impedance analysis should be used for estimating adiposity Am J Clin Nutr 1996 64 (Suppl 3): 436S–448S.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Lukaski, HC . Methods for the assessment of human body composition: traditional and new Am J Clin Nutr 1987 46: 537–556.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chedoke Division, Children's Exercise and Nutrition Centre, Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation, Evel 4, Hamilton, L8N 3Z5, Ontario, Canada

    L Gillis, O Bar-Or & R Calvert

Authors
  1. L Gillis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. O Bar-Or
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R Calvert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gillis, L., Bar-Or, O. & Calvert, R. Validating a practical approach to determine weight control in obese children and adolescents. Int J Obes 24, 1648–1652 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801458

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801458

Keywords

Search

Advanced search

Quick links