Short stature and obesity: positive association in adults but inverse association in children and adolescents

• Published in: British journal of nutrition Vol. 102; no. 3; pp. 453 - 461
• Main Authors: Bosy-Westphal, Anja, Plachta-Danielzik, Sandra, Dorhofer, Ralf-Peter, Muller, Manfred J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 14.08.2009
• Subjects: Adolescent; adolescent nutrition; Adolescents; Adult; Age Distribution; anthropometric measurements; Biological and medical sciences; Body Composition; body fat; Body Height; Body Mass Index; Child; child nutrition; Children; diet-related diseases; disease prevalence; Fat mass; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Germany - epidemiology; Growth Disorders - physiopathology; Health risks; height; human diseases; Humans; Lean body mass; Male; Middle Aged; Obesity; Obesity - physiopathology; overweight; Overweight - physiopathology; Prevalence; Reference Values; Regression Analysis; Risk; Sex Distribution; Stature; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Waist-Hip Ratio; waist-to-hip ratio; Germany; Stature; Lean body mass; Body mass index; Obesity; Fat mass; Human; Nutrition disorder; Growth retardation; Vertebrata; Association; Mammalia; Adolescent; Adult; Child; Nutritional status
• ISSN: 0007-1145; 1475-2662
• DOI: 10.1017/S0007114508190304

Shorter than average adults are at a higher risk for obesity and are also more susceptible to diabetes and CVD, independent of BMI. In contrast, taller children have a higher risk of obesity. We hypothesised that short stature is related to adverse body composition and that the association between stature and obesity differs between generations. In a cross-sectional German database of 213 804 adults and 12 411 children and adolescents, the prevalence of overweight and obesity was compared between percentiles of height. The association between stature and percentage of fat mass (%FM), lean BMI (LBMI; kg/m2) or waist:hip ratio (in children only) was analysed within BMI groups. In adults, the prevalence of BMI >30 kg/m2 gradually increased with decreasing percentile of height whereas in children and adolescents, a positive association between height and weight status was observed. Short-stature women and girls had a 0·8–3·2 % lower %FM than tall subjects (P < 0·05), whereas no trend for %FM was observed in males. When compared with tall subjects, LBMI was 0·2–0·6 kg/m2 lower in short-stature men, as well as obese women (P < 0·05). There was a non-significant trend for a lower LBMI and a higher waist:hip ratio in shorter children. In conclusion, short stature is associated with an increased risk of obesity in adults. Cardiometabolic risk in short stature is not explained by an adverse body composition.