Abstract
Objectives. The study aimed to assess the relationship between body fat and each of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC), and to test the effectiveness of fat mass (FM), percent of body fat (PBF), BMI, and WC in predicting high levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG). Methods. A total of 167 adolescents aged 11–17 years were recruited from Rabat region. BMI and WC were determined using standard equipments. FM and PBF were derived from isotope dilution technique. FBG was determined by the hexokinase method. Results. Regardless of the weight status, BMI showed a strong positive correlation with FM and PBF in both genders. WC was significantly correlated with FM in boys and girls, and with PBF in different groups of girls and boys of the study sample. However, there was no significant relationship between WC and PBF in normal weight and overweight-obese groups of boys. FBG was highly correlated with FM and PBF in girls of the study sample and in overweight-obese girls. Similar significant relationship between FBG and both BMI and WC was observed in overweight-obese girls, while there was no significant association between FBG and other variables in boys and normal-weight girls. Conclusion. BMI and WC were closely associated with FM and PBF, respectively. However, the degree of these associations depends on gender and weight status. BMI may provide a better proxy estimate of overall adiposity than WC; nevertheless, both of them would appear to be a reasonable surrogate for FM and PBF as screening tools to identify adolescents at risk of developing excess body fat and high level of FBG.
Highlights
Over the last decades, there has been a worldwide growing prevalence of overweight and obesity among people of all ages [1, 2]
body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) were closely associated with fat mass (FM) and percent of body fat (PBF), respectively
BMI, WC, FM, and PBF were significantly higher in overweight-obese groups compared to normal weight groups (P < 0.0001); weight status had no effect on fasting blood glucose (FBG)
Summary
There has been a worldwide growing prevalence of overweight and obesity among people of all ages [1, 2]. Identification of adolescents at risk for excess adiposity and its related metabolic complications requires reliable, simple, and specific measures of excess body fat for this age group [8]. To this end, a set of techniques are used to assess obesity such as isotope dilution and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). A set of techniques are used to assess obesity such as isotope dilution and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) These techniques offer accurate measurement of adiposity but they are expensive and cannot be used everywhere [9]. Measuring body fat in most clinical and epidemiological settings is relatively difficult, and surrogate anthropometric measures, such as body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) and waist circumference (WC) are used for assessment of obesity in children and adolescents
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