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Differences in body composition and metabolic status between white UK and Asian Indian children (EarlyBird 24 and the Pune Maternal Nutrition Study)

Differences in body composition and metabolic status between white UK and Asian Indian children (EarlyBird 24 and the Pune Maternal Nutrition Study)
Differences in body composition and metabolic status between white UK and Asian Indian children (EarlyBird 24 and the Pune Maternal Nutrition Study)
Background/Aims: The concept of the ‘thin–fat’ Indian baby is well established, but there is little comparative data in older children, and none that examines the metabolic correlates. Accordingly, we investigated the impact of body composition on the metabolic profiles of Asian Indian and white UK children.

Methods: Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, sum of four skin-folds, % body fat (by dualenergy X-ray absorptiometry), glucose, insulin, insulin resistance (Homeostasis Model Assessment), trigylcerides,cholesterol [total, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein {HDL}, total/HDL ratio] and blood pressure (systolic, diastolic and mean arterial) were measured in 262 white Caucasian children from Plymouth, UK (aged 6.9 ± 0.2 years, 57% male), and 626 Indian children from rural villages around Pune, India (aged 6.2 ± 0.1 years, 53% male).

Results: Indian children had a significantly lower BMI (boys: -2.1 kg m-2, girls: -3.2 kg m-2, both P < 0.001), waist circumference (P < 0.001) and skin-fold thickness (P < 0.001) than white UK children, yet their % body fat was higher (boys +4.5%, P < 0.001, girls: +0.5%, P = 0.61). Independently of the differences in age and % body fat, the Indian children had higher fasting glucose (boys +0.52 mmol L-1, girls +0.39 mmol L-1, both P < 0.001), higher insulin (boys +1.69, girls +1.87 mU L-1, both P < 0.01) and were more insulin resistant (boys +0.25, girls +0.28 HOMA-IR units, both P < 0.001).

Conclusions: The ‘thin–fat’ phenotype observed in Indian babies is also apparent in pre-pubertal Indian children who have greater adiposity than white UK children despite significantly lower BMIs. Indian children are more insulin resistant than white UK children, even after adjustment for adiposity.
body composition, children, metabolic status, transracial
347-354
Lakshmi, S.
aaddd43a-5d18-4c55-a79e-c7e4b8e133c2
Metcalfe, B.
da914351-1816-4fd4-bb55-c15ffeaba2f8
Joglekar, C.
70e3e271-1071-46f2-9986-790d7e8fea6b
Yajnik, C.S.
ea0648f2-b384-4e5c-9e0f-45cc852e0c75
Fall, C.H.
7171a105-34f5-4131-89d7-1aa639893b18
Wilkin, T.J.
56d0c5be-8c04-4ad3-bdf9-fef3c7fda856
Lakshmi, S.
aaddd43a-5d18-4c55-a79e-c7e4b8e133c2
Metcalfe, B.
da914351-1816-4fd4-bb55-c15ffeaba2f8
Joglekar, C.
70e3e271-1071-46f2-9986-790d7e8fea6b
Yajnik, C.S.
ea0648f2-b384-4e5c-9e0f-45cc852e0c75
Fall, C.H.
7171a105-34f5-4131-89d7-1aa639893b18
Wilkin, T.J.
56d0c5be-8c04-4ad3-bdf9-fef3c7fda856

Lakshmi, S., Metcalfe, B., Joglekar, C., Yajnik, C.S., Fall, C.H. and Wilkin, T.J. (2012) Differences in body composition and metabolic status between white UK and Asian Indian children (EarlyBird 24 and the Pune Maternal Nutrition Study). Pediatric Obesity, 7 (5), 347-354. (doi:10.1111/j.2047-6310.2012.00063.x). (PMID:22941936)

Record type: Article

Abstract

Background/Aims: The concept of the ‘thin–fat’ Indian baby is well established, but there is little comparative data in older children, and none that examines the metabolic correlates. Accordingly, we investigated the impact of body composition on the metabolic profiles of Asian Indian and white UK children.

Methods: Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, sum of four skin-folds, % body fat (by dualenergy X-ray absorptiometry), glucose, insulin, insulin resistance (Homeostasis Model Assessment), trigylcerides,cholesterol [total, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein {HDL}, total/HDL ratio] and blood pressure (systolic, diastolic and mean arterial) were measured in 262 white Caucasian children from Plymouth, UK (aged 6.9 ± 0.2 years, 57% male), and 626 Indian children from rural villages around Pune, India (aged 6.2 ± 0.1 years, 53% male).

Results: Indian children had a significantly lower BMI (boys: -2.1 kg m-2, girls: -3.2 kg m-2, both P < 0.001), waist circumference (P < 0.001) and skin-fold thickness (P < 0.001) than white UK children, yet their % body fat was higher (boys +4.5%, P < 0.001, girls: +0.5%, P = 0.61). Independently of the differences in age and % body fat, the Indian children had higher fasting glucose (boys +0.52 mmol L-1, girls +0.39 mmol L-1, both P < 0.001), higher insulin (boys +1.69, girls +1.87 mU L-1, both P < 0.01) and were more insulin resistant (boys +0.25, girls +0.28 HOMA-IR units, both P < 0.001).

Conclusions: The ‘thin–fat’ phenotype observed in Indian babies is also apparent in pre-pubertal Indian children who have greater adiposity than white UK children despite significantly lower BMIs. Indian children are more insulin resistant than white UK children, even after adjustment for adiposity.

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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 31 August 2012
Published date: October 2012
Keywords: body composition, children, metabolic status, transracial
Organisations: Faculty of Health Sciences

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 346842
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/346842
PURE UUID: 7ea218d0-05a3-49ef-8efb-a72841c08bcf
ORCID for C.H. Fall: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-4402-5552

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Date deposited: 11 Jan 2013 15:50
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 02:39

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Contributors

Author: S. Lakshmi
Author: B. Metcalfe
Author: C. Joglekar
Author: C.S. Yajnik
Author: C.H. Fall ORCID iD
Author: T.J. Wilkin

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