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:

Tracking body fat distribution during growth: using measurements at two occasions vs one

International Journal of Obesity volume 25, pages 1850–1855 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether within-individual variation is a factor in the generally reported poor tracking of central body fat distribution (CBFD) during development and whether two measurements of CBFD during each measurement occasion would improve the estimate of tracking over time.

METHODS: A longitudinal study compared the results of two measurements of body fat (BF) and CBFD during each measurement occasion to the results of one measurement of BF and CBFD during each occasion every 4 months over 1–3 y. A total of 345 boys and 333 girls in three age cohorts of 8, 11 and 14 y at baseline were examined. BF variables were: body mass index (BMI); fat mass and percentage body fat from bioelectrical impedance; two skinfold sums; and abdominal circumference. CBFD variables were: waist/hip and waist/thigh ratios; conicity; and log upper-lower skinfold ratio.

RESULTS: Three-year tracking of BF varied from 0.79 to 0.90 for one- and from 0.81 to 0.93 for two-occasion measurements showing no apparent sex- or cohort-effects. Three-year tracking of CBFD was lower than that of BF (0.68–0.75), but improved significantly with two-occasion measurements (0.75–0.82).

CONCLUSIONS: Within-individual variation is a significant factor in reported low tracking of CBFD in childhood. Estimates of tracking currently in the literature may underestimate the predictive value of CBFD, possibly because this research has used one-occasion measurement. The increased use of two-occasion measurement should significantly improve the tracking of CBFD during development and provide a more realistic understanding of its predictive value.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Vague J . The degree of masculine differentiation of obesities: a factor determining predisposition to diabetes, atherosclerosis, gout and uric calculous disease Am J Clin Nutr 1956 4: 20–34.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Lapidus L, Bengtsson C, Larsson B, Pennert K, Rybo E, Sjostrom L . Distribution of adipose tissue and risk for cardiovascular disease and death: a 12 y follow up of participants in the population study of women in Gothenburg, Sweden Br Med J 1984 289: 1257–1261.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Larsson B, Svardsudd K, Welin L, Wilhemsen L, Bjorntorp P, Tibblin G . Abdominal adipose tissue distribution, obesity and risk of cardiovascular disease and death: 13 y follow up of participants in the study of men born in 1913 Br Med J 1984 288: 1401–1404.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Ducimetiere P, Richard J, Cambien F . The pattern of subcutaneous fat distribution in middle aged men and the risk of coronary heart disease: the Paris prospective study Int J Obes 1986 10: 229–240.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Donahue RP, Abbott RD, Bloom E, Reed DM, Yano K . Central obesity and coronary heart disease in men Lancet 1987 i: 821–824.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Reichley KB, Mueller WH, Hanis CL, Joos SK, Tulloch BR, Barton SA, Schull WJ . Centralized obesity and cardiovascular disease risk in Mexican Americans Am J Epidemiol 1987 125: 373–386.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Bjorntorp P . The associations between obesity, adipose tissue distribution and disease Acta Med Scand 1988 723 (Suppl): 121–134.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Kannel WB, Cuplles LA, Ramaswami R, Stokes JS III, Kreger BE, Higgins M . Regional obesity and risk of cardiovascular disease: the Framingham study Int J Clin Epidemiol 1991 44: 183–190.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Ramirez ME, Mueller WH . The development of obesity and fat patterning in Tokelau children Hum Biol 1980 52: 675–687.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Mueller WH . The changes with age of the anatomical distribution of fat Soc Sci Med 1982 16: 191–196.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Bouchard C, Johnston FE . Fat distribution during growth and later health outcomes Liss: New York 1988

    Google Scholar 

  12. Baumgartner RN, Roche AF . Tracking of fat pattern indices in childhood: the Melbourne Growth Study Hum Biol 1988 60: 549–567.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Kaplowitz H, Wild K, Mueller WH, Decker M, Tanner JM . Serial and parent-child changes in components of body fat distribution and fatness in children from the London Longitudinal Growth Study Hum Biol 1988 60: 739–758.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Roche AF, Baumgartner RN . Tracking in fat distribution during growth. In: Bouchard C, Johnston FE (eds) Fat distribution during growth and later health outcomes. Liss: New York 1988 147–162.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Roland-Cachera MF, Bellisle F, Deheheeger M, Pequignot F, Sempe M . Influence of body fat distribution during childhood on body fat distribution in adulthood: a two-decade follow up study Int J Obes 1990 14: 473–481.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Van Lenthe F, Kemper H, Van Mechelen W, Twisk J . Development and tracking of central patterns of subcutaneous fat in adolescence and adulthood: the Amsterdam Growth and Health Study Int J Epidemiol 1996 25: 1162–1171.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Casey VA, Dwyer JT, Berkey CS, Bailey SM, Coleman KA, Valadian I . The distribution of body fat from childhood to adulthood in a longitudinal study population Ann Hum Biol 1994 21: 39–55.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Katzmarzyk PT, Perusse L, Malina RM, Bouchard C . Seven-year stability of indicators of obesity and adipose tissue distribution in the Canadian population Am J Clin Nutr 1999 69: 1123–1129.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Roche AF, Siervogel RM, Chumlea WC . Serial changes in subcutaneous fat thickness of children and adults Paediatric Monograph No. 17 Karger: Basel 1982

    Google Scholar 

  20. Baumgartner RN, Heymsfield SB, Roche AF . Human body composition and the epidemiology of chronic disease Obes Res 1995 3: 73–95.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Goran MI, Gower BA . Relation between visceral fat and disease risk in children and adolescents Am J Clin Nutr 1999 70 (Suppl): 149S–156S.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Mueller WH, Stallones L . Anatomical distribution of subcutaneous fat: skinfold site choice and construction of indices Hum Biol 1981 53: 309–335.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Healy MJR . Variations within individuals in human biology Hum Biol 1958 30: 210–218.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Falconer DS . Introduction to quantitative genetics Robert MacLehose: Glasgow; (reprinted, with amendments) 1972 142–149.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Marks, GC, Habicht JP, Mueller WH . Reliability, dependability and precision of anthropometric measurements: the second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1976–1980 Am J Epidemiol 1989 130: 578–587.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Mueller WH, Kaplowitz H . The precision of anthropometric assessment of body fat distribution in children Ann Hum Biol 1994 21: 267–274.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Mueller WH, Taylor WC, Chan W, Sangi H, Snider SA, Hsu H . The precision of measuring body fat distribution in adolescent African-American girls from ‘The Healthy Growth Study’ Am J Hum Biol 1996 8: 325–329.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Labarthe DR, Nichaman MZ, Harrist RB, Grunbaum JA, Dai S . The development of cardiovascular risk factors from age 8–18 in Project HeartBeat!: study design and patterns of change in total cholesterol concentration Circulation 1997 95: 2636–2642.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Mueller WH, Harrist RB, Doyle SR, Ayars CL, Labarthe DR . Body measurement variability, fatness and fat-free mass in children 8, 11, and 14 y of age: Project HeartBeat! Am J Hum Biol 1999 11: 69–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Snedecor GW, Cochran WG . Statistical methods 6th edn Iowa State University Press: Ames, IA 1967 185.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Guo S, Roche AF, Houtkooper L . Fat-free mass in children and young adults predicted from bioelectrical impedance and anthropometric variables Am J Clin Nutr 1989 50: 435–443.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Valdez R, Seidell JC, Ahn YI, Weiss KM . A new index of abdominal adiposity as an indicator of risk for cardiovascular disease Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1992 16: 77–82.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Lohman TG, Roche AF, Martorell R . Anthropometric standardization reference manual Human Kinetics Press: Champaign, IL 1988

    Google Scholar 

  34. Tanner JM . Foetus into man. Physical growth from conception to maturity Harvard University Press: Cambridge, MA 1990

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Research support was provided by National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Cooperative Agreement U01-HL-41166, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through the Southwest Center for Prevention Research U48/CCU609653, and Compaq Computer Corporation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Texas, Health Science Center—Houston, School of Public Health, Houston, Texas, USA

    WH Mueller

  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    S Dai & DR Labarthe

Authors
  1. WH Mueller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S Dai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. DR Labarthe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to WH Mueller.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mueller, W., Dai, S. & Labarthe, D. Tracking body fat distribution during growth: using measurements at two occasions vs one. Int J Obes 25, 1850–1855 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801832

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801832

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links