title: Acanthosis nigricans and truncal fat in overweight and obese children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Screening for acanthosis nigricans (AcN) in overweight children is repeatedly recommended. The significance of AcN, and its relation to central obesity in children, is unclear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare clinical and anthropometric parameters associated with adiposity, between overweight and obese children with and without AcN.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and forty-nine overweight and obese children were screened for AcN. Height, weight, waist and hip circumferences, triceps skinfold thickness and segmental body fat amounts were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-two (14.8%) children had AcN. Children with AcN had greater height, weight, BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-height-ratio, triceps skinfold thickness, and total and truncal body fat percentage, compared to those without AcN. After adjustment for age and BMI, no adiposity measure was increased in children with AcN.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overweight and obese children with AcN basically have greater overall and central adiposity, than those without it. Adjusting for BMI, there is no evidence for increased abdominal fat in these children.
authors.affiliation: Exercise, Nutrition, and Lifestyle Clinic, The Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel. gal.dubnov-raz@sheba.health.gov.il
authors.forename: Gal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dubnov-Raz
authors.forename: Ram
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Raanan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Raz
authors.forename: Rakefet
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arieli
authors.forename: Naama W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Constantini
mesh_terms: D050153:Abdominal Fat / Q000473:pathology*; D000052:Acanthosis Nigricans / Q000473:pathology*; D050154:Adiposity; D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000473:pathology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000473:pathology*; D012885:Skinfold Thickness; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio