Childhood weight, stature, and body mass index among never overweight, early-onset overweight, and late-onset overweight groups.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effects of timing of onset of overweight (OW) on childhood anthropometric adiposity levels using long-term serial data from the Fels Longitudinal Study.


METHODS
OW was defined as body mass index (BMI; kg/m(2)) >25, and the age at first measurement of BMI >25 was the age of onset of OW. Early onset of OW (early-OW) and late onset of OW (late-OW) were defined as having onset of OW before and after 25 years of age, respectively, whereas never OW (never-OW) was defined as never having a BMI >25.


METHODS
Subjects consisted of 67 males and 47 females in early-OW groups, 62 males and 48 females in late-OW groups, and 80 males and 114 females in never-OW groups.


RESULTS
Levels of weight and BMI in early-OW males and females were significantly greater than those in never-OW and late-OW males and females beginning at the time of adiposity rebound, which generally occurs between 4 and 8 years of age. Median BMI and weight patterns between never-OW and late-OW males were similar throughout childhood. However, significant differences in median levels of BMI for never-OW and late-OW females began at 11 years of age, although onset of OW was not until >25 years of age in the latter group.


CONCLUSIONS
For both males and females, adiposity rebound is likely an effective time in a child's development to detect and initiate prevention for childhood and early adulthood onset of OW. Although later-onset OW needs additional study, puberty seems to be a critical phase in the development of later adult onset of OW in females.
Wisemandle
W
W
Division of Human Biology, Department of Community Health, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio, USA. wayne.wisemandle@wright.edu
Maynard
L M
LM
Guo
S S
SS
Siervogel
R M
RM
D000328:Adult; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015995:Prevalence; D013997:Time Factors