Comparison of children's body fatness between two contrasting income groups: contribution of height difference

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: To compare measures of growth and body fatness (body mass index (BMI) and % body fat) in children from two contrasting income backgrounds and to examine the contribution

of height difference to these measures. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Schools in inner East London (‘low income’) and West London, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire (‘high income’),

UK. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 2298 children aged 5–14 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Height, weight, BMI (weight per height2) and percentage body fat (%BF, by bioelectrical impedance

analysis). RESULTS: Children from the ‘lower income’ background were significantly shorter, heavier and fatter (%BF) with a higher BMI for their age compared with those from a ‘higher

income’ background. Prevalence of overweight/obesity was greater in the ‘lower income’ group children, assessed on the basis of BMI, and this income group difference was magnified when based

on %BF (overfat/obese). Irrespective of the assessment tool used, overweight/overfat/obese children as a group were significantly taller for their age compared with children categorized as

normal weight/normal fat. Despite the overfat/obese children being taller for their age, an ‘income group’ difference in height remained within this category. CONCLUSION: These findings

confirm the income group influence on obesity prevalence. They also illustrate that BMI underestimates the true number of children having excess body fat, particularly in ‘low income’

children. Exactly why BMI seems to function differently along income group divisions in unclear, but a shorter height-for-age of the ‘lower income’ group children could be one explanation.

These findings raise important questions about the causes and consequences of obesity in children from ‘lower income’ backgrounds. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a

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Research Consortium (NoCLoR) and the Learning Trust. Tanita UK Ltd provided funding for the development of the UK body fat reference curves for children. AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND

AFFILIATIONS * Institute for Health Research & Policy, London Metropolitan University, London, UK D Samani-Radia & H D McCarthy Authors * D Samani-Radia View author publications You

can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * H D McCarthy View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR

Correspondence to H D McCarthy. ETHICS DECLARATIONS COMPETING INTERESTS HDMc has previously received funding from Tanita UK Ltd., as indicated in the acknowledgements. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS

Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Samani-Radia, D., McCarthy, H. Comparison of children's body fatness between two contrasting income groups: contribution

of height difference. _Int J Obes_ 35, 128–133 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2010.116 Download citation * Received: 04 June 2009 * Revised: 21 March 2010 * Accepted: 24 April 2010 *

Published: 22 June 2010 * Issue Date: January 2011 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2010.116 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

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children * body fat * BMI * BIA * height * income