Bone Mineral Content and Body Composition in Overweight Children and Adolescents

Abstract

ABSTRACT:The aim of this study was to analyze the bone mineral content (BMC) of the skeleton and the body composition in lean and fat masses in a population of young overweight subjects, before diet or medical intervention. A total of 496 white youths (298 females, 198 males) were studied. Their body mass index (BMI) values were 29.2 Ϯ 5.5 kg/m 2 in females and 28.3 Ϯ 5.1 kg/m 2 in males, corresponding to relative weights (wts) [actual wt, W, divided by the mean wt normal for height (ht), Wi] of 1.55 Ϯ 0.24 and 1.53 Ϯ 0.24, respectively. Whole-body dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans were performed (Norland XR36 DXA system) to obtain the total BMC (BMCt), lean tissue mass (LTMt) and fat mass (FMt), as well as the values of the corresponding parameters in arms (a), legs (l), and abdomen (ab). The measured data were compared with theoretical values calculated for Wi. The differences with reference values in LTMt and FMt were sex dependent, and the accretion in FMt, greater in males than in females, yielded a similar FMt/LTMt ratio in both sexes. The wt corresponding to the BMC of the bearing skeleton, lower than the actual wt by about 20%, seemed a reasonable first step to consider in the wt management of these youths. T he prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents is rapidly increasing in industrialized populations as well as in developing countries where lifestyles are rapidly changing (1-8). Because health risks and associated diseases increase as wt increases (9,10), monitoring body wt, and more specifically the fat mass, during the growth period is necessary. First of all, to bring the wt of overweight youths as close as possible to their healthy wt for ht and, thus, to prevent the development of chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular diseases (10 -14). The technical problem of body composition assessment has become relatively simple, and several methods are available. With its high precision, low irradiation dose (15), relatively low cost, and immediate delivery of precise results, dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is certainly one of the most appropriate techniques. Although DXA can give values that differ from other methods, such as bioelectrical impedance analysis or total body electrical conductivity, since its pioneer use to measure body composition by Mazess et al. (16), several papers have shown that the technique is close to total body potassium for the assessment of fat-free mass (17), highly correlated with other methods (18), and accurate (19,20). It is also very sensitive to small changes in body composition (21,22). Therefore, DXA seems to be a simple technique to measure the body composition in overweight subjects.The main objective of the present work was to analyze the bone mineral content (BMC) of the entire skeleton, and the body composition in LTM and fat mass in a population of overweight youths, before any diet or medical intervention. The BMC of the arms and legs, their lean and fat masses, as well as the lean and fat masses ...

Longitudinal Bone Mineralization Assessment in Children Treated With Long‐Term Parenteral Nutrition for Severe Intestinal Failure

“…But this method is only adapted on regional DXAs and loses the third dimension of the bone (depth), which is important in small bones. As demonstrated in several previous pediatric studies, the TBMC is highly dependent on the anthropometric values of children from birth to adolescence, specifically for the weight‐bearing skeleton . In our study, we found a close linear relationship between weight and TBMC measurements (data not shown).…”

“…As demonstrated in several previous pediatric studies, the TBMC is highly dependent on the anthropometric values of children from birth to adolescence, specifically for the weight-bearing skeleton. 19,24,29,33,34 In our study, we found a close linear relationship between weight and TBMC measurements (data not shown). That's why we have chosen (1) to study a TBMC instead of density and (2) to match it with the ideal weight for a child with the same height.…”

Effects of diet-induced obesity and voluntary wheel running on the microstructure of the murine distal femur

“…However, the effects of body mass on the skeleton remain controversial although well documented in obese subjects in previous studies [35,36]. Some studies have shown that obese subjects have weaker bone to bear their over-weight body mass compared to normal counterparts in both humans and animals [37,38]. In our study, after adjusting for body mass (unpublished data), no significant differences in bone traits between the obese and normal weight mice were found.…”

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“…Our study revealed that weight, BMI, waist circumference, and fat mass index in normal children was higher than those in children with low lumbar bone mass. Previous investigations in France ( 22 , 23 ), the Netherlands ( 4 ), and Italy ( 24 ) also showed that bone mineral density was correlated with obesity, and fat mass. Body weight might improve bone mineralization due to the mechanical loading on weight-bearing bones ( 25 - 27 ).…”