FAT INTAKE AND ADIPOSITY IN CHILDREN OF LEAN AND OBESE PARENTS

We examined the relations between obesity in parents and fat intake in their children, and the effect of fat intake on fat mass in these chi ldren. Our heterogenous sample ((x) over bar +/- SD: 20.2 +/- 3.4 kg; 3.2 +/- 1.3 kg fat mass) consisted of 56 white and 15 Mohawk children 4-7 y of age (35 girls and 36 boys); Dietary intake was assessed with the Willett food-frequency questionnaire revised for children. Body co mposition was measured by bioelectrical resistance and subscapular and triceps skinfold thicknesses. Physical-activity energy expenditure wa s estimated by the difference between total energy expenditure (measur ed over 14 d by the doubly labeled water method) and postprandial rest ing energy expenditure (measured by indirect calorimetry). Before stat istical analysis, fat mass was adjusted for fat-free mass, and fat int ake was adjusted for nonfat intake. There was no effect of sex or ethn icity on fat intake, and no effect of ethnicity on the relation betwee n fat intake and fat mass. Adjusted mean (+/- SE) fat intakes for the groups of children, based on parental obesity status, were as follows: 2.65 +/- 0.09 MJ/d (nonobese mother and father), 2.85 +/- 0.12 MJ/d ( obese mother, nonobese father), 2.58 +/- 0.10 MJ/d (obese father, nono bese mother), and 2.79 +/- 0.10 MJ/d (obese mother and father). We fou nd an influence of maternal obesity on dietary fat intake in children (P = 0.052) and a significant correlation between fat mass and fat int ake in boys (r = 0.48, P < 0.01) but not in girls after adjustment for physical-activity energy expenditure. Our data suggest that I) mother s may contribute to the development of obesity in children by influenc ing their dietary fat intake, and 2) dietary fat intake contributes to obesity in boys, independent of physical-activity energy expenditure.