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Abnormal body mass index trajectories in childhood and possible health consequences

International Journal of Obesity volume 31, pages 1761–1762 (2007)Cite this article

Rolland-Cachera et al. proposed to include age at adiposity rebound and body mass index (BMI) trajectory among parameters that evaluated the metabolic individual risk factor and clustering estimation in children and adolescents. This suggestion is based on the known relationship between an early adiposity rebound (EAR) (that is, before 6 years of age) and BMI pattern.1 Moreover, the interest for BMI trajectory, showing low fatness in early childhood followed by high fatness associated with EAR, has progressively increased in the last decade together with the demonstrations of its health consequences later in life. In fact, longitudinal studies have shown an increased risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure and obesity in subjects with small birth weight and thinness at age of 2 years followed by rapid weight gain.2, 3, 4

We recently proposed5 the estimation of individual metabolic risk in childhood, not only with the presence of the metabolic abnormalities classically defined with the term metabolic syndrome, but also with the presence of some familial and/or individual anamnestic risk factors. This implies the close attention of the paediatrician to the overall condition of the subject regardless of the actual weight status. Among conditions known to increase the individual risk for future cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes, we included a small birth weight for gestational age (SGA), defined as birth weight (and/or length) at least 2 s. d. below the mean for gestational age.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ASL Milano 2, Via Parada 32, Milano, Italy

    P Brambilla

  2. Pediatric Unit, Verona University Medical School, Verona, Italy

    A Pietrobelli

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  1. P Brambilla
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  2. A Pietrobelli
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Correspondence to P Brambilla.

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Brambilla, P., Pietrobelli, A. Abnormal body mass index trajectories in childhood and possible health consequences. Int J Obes 31, 1761–1762 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803723

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