Visceral abdominal fat is correlated with whole-body fat and physical activity among 8-y-old children at risk of obesity.
BACKGROUND
Abdominal fat is more related to health risk than is whole-body fat. Determining the factors related to children's visceral fat could result in interventions to improve child health.


OBJECTIVE
Given the effects of physical activity on adults' visceral fat, it was hypothesized that, after accounting for whole-body fat, physical activity would be inversely related to children's visceral (VAT), but not to subcutaneous (SAT), abdominal adipose tissue.


METHODS
In this cross-sectional observational study conducted in forty-two 8-y-old children (21 boys, 21 girls) at risk of obesity [>75th body mass index (BMI) percentile, with at least one overweight parent], familial factors (eg, maternal BMI), historic weight-related factors (eg, birth weight), and the children's current physical activity (self-reported and measured with accelerometry) and diet were examined as potential correlates of the children's whole-body composition (measured with BMI and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) and abdominal fat distribution (measured by magnetic resonance imaging).


RESULTS
Accelerometer-measured physical activity was related to whole-body fat (r = -0.32, P < 0.10), SAT (r = -0.29, P < 0.10), and VAT (r = -0.43, P < 0.05). In regression models, whole-body fat was positively associated with and the only significant correlate of SAT. Whole-body fat was positively related and accelerometer-measured physical activity was negatively and independently related to the children's VAT.


CONCLUSIONS
Both SAT and VAT in 8-y-old children at risk of obesity are most closely associated with whole-body fat. However, after control for whole-body fat, greater physical activity is only associated with lower VAT, not SAT, in these children.
Saelens
Brian E
BE
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, USA. bsalens@u.washington.edu
Seeley
Randy J
RJ
van Schaick
Kelly
K
Donnelly
Lane F
LF
O'Brien
Kendall J
KJ
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000378:metabolism*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D009820:Ohio; D010290:Parents; D012307:Risk Factors; D050151:Subcutaneous Fat / Q000378:metabolism