Adiposity, fat patterning, and the metabolic syndrome among diverse youth: the EPOCH study.
OBJECTIVE
To assess fat distribution, prevalence of obesity, and the metabolic syndrome among diverse 6-13-year-old Colorado youth to better understand racial/ethnic influences on adiposity and metabolic syndrome.


METHODS
We measured body mass index, subscapular-to-triceps skinfold ratio, waist circumference, dietary fat, and physical activity in 422 youth (47% non-Hispanic White, 44% Hispanic, and 9% African-American). Visceral adipose tissue, subcutaneous adipose tissue, and intramyocellular lipid were measured with magnetic resonance techniques. Multiple-linear regression was used to assess associations between race/ethnicity and adiposity patterns.


RESULTS
Hispanic and African-American youth had a higher prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome compared with non-Hispanic White youth. Both groups displayed a more centralized fat distribution and larger volumes of subcutaneous tissue, compared with non-Hispanic White youth. After controlling for body mass index, these differences were attenuated, and for a given body size, African-American youth showed significantly lower visceral adipose tissue than non-Hispanic White youth. However, both Hispanic and African-American youth showed higher intermyocellular lipid in skeletal muscle compared with non-Hispanic Whites, independent of body size.


CONCLUSIONS
Racial/ethnic minorities experience higher overall adiposity, and may also have an increased risk for early development of metabolic syndrome relative to non-Hispanic White youth, beyond their increased obesity risk.
Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
Marybeth
M
Maligie
Tessa
T
Crume
Ann
A
Scherzinger
Elizabeth
E
Stamm
Dana
D
Dabelea
D050154:Adiposity / Q000208:ethnology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry; D001824:Body Constitution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D049628:Body Size; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003120:Colorado; D005006:Ethnicity; D006801:Humans; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012306:Risk