INFLUENCE OF MACRONUTRIENTS ON ADIPOSITY DEVELOPMENT - A FOLLOW-UP-STUDY OF NUTRITION AND GROWTH FROM 10 MONTHS TO 8 YEARS OF AGE

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between early nutrient inta ke and adiposity development. DESIGN: A follow up study of nutrition a nd growth carried out in a sample of 112 French children from 10 month s to 8 years of age. MEASUREMENTS: Nutritional intakes at the age of 2 years and anthropometric measurements: Body Mass Index (BMI), subscap ular and triceps skinfolds at the age of 8 years, and age at adiposity rebound assessed on the basis of BMI development. RESULTS: The BMI at the age of 8 years is positively correlated with energy intake at the age of 2 years, but this correlation becomes non significant after ad justment for BMI at 2 years, Protein (% of energy) intake at the age o f 2 years is positively correlated with BMI and subscapular skinfold a t 8 years after adjustment for energy intake at 2 years and parental B MI. The percentage of protein at 2 years is negatively associated with age at adiposity rebound, i.e. the higher the protein intake at 2 yea rs, the earlier the adiposity rebound and the higher the subsequent BM I level. CONCLUSION: Protein at the age of 2 years is the only nutrien t intake associated with fatness development pattern. A high protein i ntake increases body fatness at 8 years of age, via an early adiposity rebound. The association between protein intake and obesity is consis tent with the increased stature and accelerated growth of obese childr en. A high fat low protein diet (such as human milk) is adapted to hig h energy demand for growth in early childhood, Our results suggest tha t high protein diet early in life could increase the risk of obesity a nd other pathologies later in life.