Pubertal Timing Is an Independent Predictor of Central Adiposity in Young Adult Males
The Gothenburg Osteoporosis and Obesity Determinants Study
- Jenny M. Kindblom1,
- Mattias Lorentzon1,
- Ensio Norjavaara2,
- Lars Lönn34,
- John Brandberg34,
- Jan-Erik Angelhed4,
- Åsa Hellqvist5,
- Staffan Nilsson5 and
- Claes Ohlsson1
- 1Center for Bone Research, Institute of Medicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden
- 2Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, The Sahlgrenska Academy at Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden
- 3Department of Radiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
- 4Department of Body Composition and Metabolism, Institute of Medicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden
- 5Swegene Bioinformatics, The Sahlgrenska Academy at Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Address correspondence and reprint requests to Jenny M. Kindblom, Bone Research Center at the Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Universitetssjukhuset/Sahlgrenska, Grona Straket 8, 413 45 Gothenburg, Sweden. E-mail: jenny.kindblom{at}medic.gu.se
Abstract
The role of puberty and normal variations in pubertal timing for the development of obesity in men is unclear. The aim of the current study was to investigate the impact of pubertal timing and prepubertal BMI (kg/m2) for young adult BMI and fat mass distribution. Detailed growth charts from birth to age 18–20 years were retrieved for the men participating in the population-based Gothenburg Osteoporosis and Obesity Determinants study. Age at peak height velocity (PHV) and BMI at age 10 years were estimated for 579 subjects, and PHV was used as an assessment of pubertal timing. The fat mass characterization and distribution were analyzed using dual X-ray absorptiometry and peripheral as well as abdominal computed tomography at age 18.9 ± 0.5 years. We demonstrate that age at PHV is an independent negative predictor of young adult BMI and whole-body fat mass. Interestingly, age at PHV is an independent negative predictor of central, but not peripheral, fat mass. In contrast, BMI at 10 years of age predicts both central and peripheral subcutaneous fat mass. In conclusion, we demonstrate that early pubertal onset specifically predicts a central fat mass distribution, while a predominantly subcutaneous obese phenotype is strongly predicted by a high prepubertal BMI.
- CT, computed tomography
- DXA, dual X-ray absorptiometry
- GOOD, Gothenburg Osteoporosis and Obesity Determinants
- PHV, peak height velocity
Footnotes
-
The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked “advertisement” in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.
-
- Accepted August 2, 2006.
- Received February 9, 2006.
- DIABETES
