A cross-sectional study of subcutaneous fat in well-off north west Indian children.

Attained means and standard deviations of the skinfold thicknesses at triceps, biceps, subscapular and suprailiac sites are presented for 6-16 yr old 589 boys and 566 girls belonging to well-off families residing in Chandigarh, north west India. Girls had larger means throughout the growing period. Limb skinfolds in boys showed a pre-adolescent fatwave followed by a marked decrease in the means. Compared to the British standards, well-off north west Indians had larger triceps and subscapular skinfold thicknesses being closer/above the 75th centile. This agreed well with the observations of earlier workers. Among the possible influencing factors for the fatness of these children, lack of physical activity appeared to be a major one.