title: The impact of childhood body mass index on timing of puberty, adult stature and obesity: a follow-up study based on adolescent anthropometry recorded at Christ's Hospital (1936-1964).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the impact of childhood body mass index (BMI) on timing of puberty, adult stature and obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective school-based cohort follow-up study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1520 men born between 1927 and 1956 with serial height and weight measurements from the age of 9 to 18, followed up in adulthood at a mean age of 63 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prepubertal (child) BMI; age at peak height velocity (APHV); adult leg length, waist and hip circumference (self-reported), and height and weight (measured).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Boys with a higher childhood BMI tended to have an earlier puberty (per s.d. increase in child BMI: -0.31 years, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.23 to -0.39, P < 0.001). Childhood BMI correlated strongly and positively with adult adiposity, as measured by BMI (1.24 kg/m(2), 95% CI: 1.04-1.45, P < 0.001), waist (1.94 cm, 95% CI: 1.50-2.37, P < 0.001) and hip (1.91 cm, 95% CI: 1.55-2.28, P < 0.001). It correlated inversely with leg length (-0.40 cm, 95% CI: -0.68 to -0.12, P = 0.005), but not significantly with height or trunk length. Boys with a later puberty tended to be taller (per s.d. increase in APHV: 0.57 cm, 95% CI: 0.17-0.97, P = 0.006) and less adipose as adults (-0.55 kg/m(2), 95% CI: -0.33 to -0.77, P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The long-term consequences of childhood obesity into adulthood are well known, but the potential impact on early pubertal maturation is less well appreciated. The factors that contribute to the onset and persistence of childhood obesity require more public health focus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, UK. jat.sandhu@bristol.ac.uk
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sandhu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ben-Shlomo
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Holly
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Davey Smith
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000886:Anthropometry; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D006128:Growth / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011627:Puberty / Q000502:physiology*