Arch Dis Child. Published Online First: 5 September 2007. doi:10.1136/adc.2007.115741
Review |
Is body composition important for paediatricians?
1 Institute of Child Health, United Kingdom
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: j.wells{at}ich.ucl.ac.uk.
Accepted 4 June 2007
Abstract
Body composition is increasingly demonstrated to be an important adult health outcome, but receives little attention in paediatric clinical practice. There are several reasons why greater interest is merited. First, whilst obesity and eating disorders are currently defined by anthropometric criteria (weight relative to height, body mass index) these variables have poor sensitivity for monitoring response to treatment, hence body composition measurement could improve management. Second, body fat and its distribution merits monitoring more generally in patients in relation to the aetiology of cardiovascular disease, hypertension and type 2 diabetes, diseases now considered to have an "incubation period" during childhood and adolescence. Third, body composition is increasingly associated with clinical progress and outcome, including survival in some disease states. Finally, measurements of lean mass may improve the capacity to tailor nutrition, treatment and management to metabolic criteria.
Keywords: body composition, body fat, clinical practice, fat-free mass, lean mass
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