RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN BIOCHEMICAL-ABNORMALITIES AND ANTHROPOMETRIC INDEXES OF OVERWEIGHT, ADIPOSITY AND BODY-FAT DISTRIBUTION IN JAPANESE ELEMENTARY-SCHOOL-CHILDREN

OBJECTIVE: To determine the anthropometric indices linked to the bioch emical risk factors for atherosclerosis in Japanese obese elementary s chool children, ages ranging from 6 to 12 years. DESIGN: Cross-section al study of obese children based on fasting blood samples. SETTING: Ou tpatient clinic of University Hospital. SUBJECTS: 65 consecutive patie nts with simple obesity (38 boys and 27 girls), and age-matched contro ls, 184 boys and 205 girls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Percent obesity and body mass index as indices of being overweight; percent body fat and the sum of four skinfold thicknesses as indices of adiposity; waist-to -hip circumference ratio and waist-to-thigh circumference ratio as ind ices of body fat distribution, The anthropometric indices were standar dized by calculating standard deviation scores based on data from cont rol children. RESULTS: In the obese boys, all six anthropometric indic es studied correlated closely with serum biochemical indices, and stro ng correlations were observed among the indices of overweight, adiposi ty and body fat distribution, In contrast, only the indices of body fa t distribution, not those of overweight or of adiposity, were correlat ed with serum biochemical indices in the obese girls. No relationship was found between the indices of body fat distribution and the other a nthropometric indices in the obese girls, Thus, the profile of the obe se girls differed from that of their male counterparts. CONCLUSION: Th e results suggest that body fat distribution is related to certain bio chemical complications of childhood obesity, and that androgyny in fat patterns induces metabolic derangements in children.