weight loss information com

Obesity in Prepubertal Children
Declining Health-Related Obesity in Young Children
About Weight Control - Weight Reduction Tips

Obesity in Prepubertal Children - Study

Defining Health-Related Obesity in Prepubertal Children

Obesity-Children Study - Aim
The purpose of this study was to develop percentage of fat and waist circumference cut-points in prepubertal children with the intention of defining obesity associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.

Obesity-Children Study - Methods
A cross-sectional analysis of 87 prepubertal children aged 4 to 11 years was used. Percentage of body fat was determined by DXA. Waist circumference was measured to the nearest millimeter. Receiver Operating Characteristic analyses of percentage of fat and waist circumference were used to develop cut-points for individuals with adverse levels of CVD risk factors.

Obesity-Children Study - Results
The risk factors selected for analyses (i.e., fasting insulin, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) were significantly related to percentage of body fat and waist circumference. Likelihood ratios were used to identify percentage of fat and waist circumference cut-points associated with adverse cardiovascular risk profiles. Two cut-points, an upper cut-point of 33 percent body fat and a lower cut-point of 20 percent body fat, were derived. Waist circumference cut-points indicative of adverse and normal risk-factor profiles were 71 cm and 61 cm, respectively.

Obesity-Children Study - Issues
The data indicate that children with 33 percent body fat and children with a waist circumference 71 cm were more likely to possess an adverse CVD risk-factor profile than a normal risk-factor profile. The likelihood of children with <20 percent body fat or a waist circumference <61 cm possessing an adverse CVD risk-factor profile as opposed to a normal risk-factor profile was small. The cut-points describe an adequate health-related definition of childhood obesity.

Source: University of Alabama at Birmingham. 2003

Short Articles About Obesity and Overweight
Levels - Causes - Obesity & Weight Loss - Obesity & Gallstones - Genes - Gender
Types of Obesity Treatment - Exercise Counseling - Diet Counseling - Risk Factor for Cancer
Risk Factor for Diabetes - Risk Factor for Heart Disease - Obesity: A Major Health Risk
Does Obesity Increase the Risk of Premature Death - Syndrome X & Obesity
Rise of Obesity and Diabetes - Does Overweight Shorten Life? - Obesity & Risk of Premature Death
Obesity, BMI and Premature Death - Fitness, Obesity and Lifespan - Weight Loss Health Benefits
Benefits of Weight Loss - Obesity and Surgical Operations
Obesity Health Dangers for Children - Obesity & Colon Cancer - Health vs. Weight Loss
Body Fat & Cancer - Obesity, Weight Loss & Immune Function - Weight Loss & Sleep Apnea
Glycemic Index & Obesity - Health, Weight & Obesity

Weight Loss & Obesity Reduction
The science of weight loss and weight management is constantly evolving, along with research into diet modification, types of gastrointestinal weight loss surgery and weight loss drugs. At present, however, a balanced diet plan combined with a regular fitness program remains the favored weight control strategy of most weight loss experts.

Return to Weight Loss Data