Energy expenditure and physical fitness in overweight vs non-overweight prepubertal girls.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether overweight children have lower physical activity energy expenditure (EE) and fitness levels than non-overweight children.


METHODS
Twenty-four healthy girls aged 7-10 y were divided into overweight (> 95th percentile weight-for-height) and non-overweight (10-90th percentile) groups. Basal metabolic rate (BMR), sleeping metabolic rate (SMR), 24 h sedentary EE (SEE) and total EE (TEE) were measured by room respiration calorimetry and doubly labelled water. Physical activity EE and physical activity level (PAL) were calculated. Fitness (VO2peak) was measured by a treadmill exercise test.


RESULTS
The overweight group had significantly higher body weight, percent fat, fat mass and fat-free mass (FFM) (P < 0.001). The overweight girls had higher BMR, SMR, SEE and TEE (P < 0.001), but not after adjustment for FFM. Physical activity EE and PAL were not significantly different between groups. After adjusting for FFM or weight, submaximal and peak VO2 were not significantly different between groups.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that these overweight girls do not have lower physical activity EE or fitness levels than the non-overweight prepubertal girls, however, the rather high body fat of the non-overweight group may have precluded us from finding any differences between groups.
Treuth
M S
MS
USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Figueroa-Colon
R
R
Hunter
G R
GR
Weinsier
R L
RL
Butte
N F
NF
Goran
M I
MI
D001481:Basal Metabolism; D001823:Body Composition; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002151:Calorimetry; D002648:Child; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010809:Physical Fitness