DEVELOPMENT AND OUTCOME OF INDEXES OF OBESITY IN NORMAL-CHILDREN

Based on the Zurich longitudinal growth study, differences are analyse d between those children who later became light adults (later light) a nd those who later became heavy (later heavy) adults. This is of inter est to discover how and when overweight develops, and which variables are most affected (weight, body mass index, circumferences and skinfol ds are studied). A further question is whether maturation proceeds dif ferently in these children. The principal idea is to split the sample with respect to adult body mass index into three parts, and to analyse the two extreme groups. It is shown that structural average curves fo r these subgroups lead to a substantial insight into the processes goi ng on in different variables. Whereas maturation is not much different , subjects later heavy gain substantially more in fat and body mass in dex from about 4 to 5 years onwards. The natural pattern of ups and do wns becomes exaggerated in subjects who are to become heavy at adult a ge. In those phases where it is natural to build up body mass index th ere is not much of a difference. In phases where later lean subjects h ardly increase their body mass index, later heavy subjects continue to build it up substantially.