Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA.
Int J Obes (Lond). 2012 Apr;36(4):535-41. doi: 10.1038/ijo.2011.238. Epub 2011 Nov 29.
To estimate differences in skeletal maturity and stature from birth to age 18 years between individuals who are overweight vs normal weight in young adulthood.
Weight, length and height, and relative skeletal age (skeletal-chronological age) were assessed annually from birth to age 18 years in 521 subjects (255 women) in the Fels Longitudinal Study who were overweight or obese (body mass index (BMI) >25 kg m(-2), n=131) or normal weight (n=390) in young adulthood (18-30 years). Generalized estimating equations were used to test for skeletal maturity and stature differences by young adult BMI status.
Differences in height increased during puberty, being significant for girls at ages 10 to 12 years, and for boys at ages 11 to 13 years (P-values<0.001), with overweight or obese adults being ∼3 cm taller at those ages than normal weight adults. These differences then diminished so that by age 18 years, overweight or obese adults were not significantly different in stature to their normal weight peers. Differences in skeletal maturity were similar, but more pervasive; overweight or obese adults were more skeletally advanced throughout childhood. Skeletal maturity differences peaked at chronological age 12 in boys and 14 in girls (P-values<0.001), with overweight or obese adults being ∼1 year more advanced than normal weight adults.
This descriptive study is the first to track advanced skeletal maturity and linear growth acceleration throughout infancy, childhood and adolescence in individuals who become overweight, showing that differences occur primarily around the time of the pubertal growth spurt. Increased BMI in children on a path to becoming overweight adults precedes an advancement in skeletal development and subsequently tall stature during puberty. Further work is required to assess the predictive value of accelerated pubertal height growth for assessing obesity risk in a variety of populations.
评估成年早期体重正常和超重个体从出生到 18 岁时的骨骼成熟度和身高差异。
在 Fels 纵向研究中，521 名受试者（255 名女性）从出生到 18 岁时每年评估体重、长度和身高以及相对骨骼年龄（骨骼-年龄），这些受试者在成年早期（18-30 岁）超重或肥胖（体重指数（BMI）>25kg/m²，n=131）或体重正常（n=390）。使用广义估计方程检验成年早期 BMI 状态对骨骼成熟度和身高的差异。
青春期身高差异增加，女孩在 10 至 12 岁，男孩在 11 至 13 岁时差异显著（P<0.001），超重或肥胖成年人在这些年龄比正常体重成年人高约 3cm。这些差异随后减小，以至于到 18 岁时，超重或肥胖成年人的身高与正常体重同龄人无显著差异。骨骼成熟度差异相似，但更普遍；超重或肥胖成年人在整个儿童期骨骼发育更为先进。男孩骨骼成熟度差异在 12 岁时和女孩 14 岁时达到峰值（P<0.001），超重或肥胖成年人比正常体重成年人大约 1 岁更为成熟。
这项描述性研究是首次追踪超重个体在婴儿期、儿童期和青春期骨骼成熟度和线性生长加速的情况，表明差异主要发生在青春期生长突增前后。儿童 BMI 增加是成为超重成年人的前兆，随后青春期骨骼发育和身高增长加快。需要进一步研究评估加速青春期身高增长对评估各种人群肥胖风险的预测价值。
