Does the age at adiposity rebound reflect a critical period?

Abstract

In 1984, Rolland-Cachera et al. showed that the age at adiposity rebound (AR) was associated with later weight status, whereby an early AR confers greater risk of obesity. This growth pattern is particularly associated with metabolic risk, likely influenced by early environmental factors preceding the AR. In 2004, Cole showed that the age at AR reflects the degree of BMI centile crossing occurring at that time, and he concluded that as a statistical phenomenon it did not constitute a critical period. The question for discussion here is: does the age at AR reflect a critical period? The conclusion is a that it does not, and that its value in predicting later obesity arises because it reflects the impact of an earlier critical period. Thus, either way, the AR constitutes an early marker of later risk of obesity and emphasises the importance of early life in determining later health.