Abstract 771 Poster Session IV, Tuesday, 5/4 (poster 49)

Research indicates that rapid, significant reductions in fat body mass (FBM) may result in concurrent reductions in bone mineral content (BMC) and/or lean body mass (LBM) in adults. However, research is limited with respect to alterations in body composition after rapid, significant weight loss in children and adolescents. We studied eight obese children and adolescents (M=4, F=4; Caucasians=2/African-American=6; mean age 10.25±1.39 years; Range: 8.2-12.6 years; Body Mass Index (BMI) >95th percentile; BMI Range = 22.9-32.6) enrolled in a multi-disciplinary weight management program. Subjects were placed on a low calorie/high protein diet of approximately 600-800 calories (protein-sparing modified fast [PSMF] protein intake = approximately 2.0 gm/kg ideal body weight [NCHS]; supplemented with extra fluid, vitamins and minerals) and given nutrition/physical activity education and motivational techniques, behavior modification strategies, and a structured, moderate-intensity, (45-55% VO2max) progressive exercise regime. The structured exercise component included aerobic, strength and flexibility training. Measures were taken at baseline and 10 weeks. Bone mineral content, LBM and FBM were measured by Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DEXA [Lunar-DPX]). The results are: (Mean±S.D.; Student Paired T-Test) (Table)

Table 1 No caption available
Full size table

Significant anthropometric changes in weight, height, BMI and FBM were observed in the subjects following 10 weeks of the intervention (p<0.001). No significant changes were noted in BMC and LBM. Therefore, significant weight loss using PSMF, nutrition/physical activity education, behavior modification and exercise reduced FBM but not BMC and LBM in the obese subjects over a short term period. The long term impact of this intervention on BMC and LBM in obese children and adolescents is in need of further investigation.