Differences in specific abdominal fat depots between metabolically healthy and unhealthy children with overweight/obesity: The role of cardiorespiratory fitness.
Scand J Med Sci Sports 2023. [PMID:
37081735 DOI:
10.1111/sms.14372]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
Fat depots localization has a critical role in the metabolic health status of adults. Nevertheless, whether that is also the case in children remains under-studied. Therefore, the aims of this study were: (i) to examine the differences between metabolically healthy (MHO) and unhealthy (MUO) overweight/obesity phenotypes on specific abdominal fat depots, and (ii) to further explore whether cardiorespiratory fitness plays a major role in the differences between metabolic phenotypes among children with overweight/obesity.
METHODS
A total of 114 children with overweight/obesity (10.6 ± 1.1 years, 62 girls) were included. Children were classified as MHO (n = 68) or MUO. visceral (VAT), abdominal subcutaneous (ASAT), intermuscular abdominal (IMAAT), psoas, hepatic, pancreatic, and lumbar bone marrow adipose tissues were measured by magnetic resonance imaging. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed using the 20 m shuttle run test.
RESULTS
MHO children had lower VAT and ASAT contents and psoas fat fraction compared to MUO children (difference = 12.4%-25.8%, all p < 0.035). MUO-unfit had more VAT and ASAT content than those MUO-fit and MHO-fit (difference = 34.8%-45.3%, all p < 0.044). MUO-unfit shows also greater IMAAT fat fraction than those MUO-fit and MHO-fit peers (difference = 16.4%-13.9% respectively, all p ≤ 0.001). In addition, MHO-unfit presented higher IMAAT fat fraction than MHO-fit (difference = 13.4%, p < 0.001). MUO-unfit presented higher psoas fat fraction than MHO-fit (difference = 29.1%, p = 0.008).
CONCLUSIONS
VAT together with ASAT and psoas fat fraction, were lower in MHO than in MUO children. Further, we also observed that being fit, regardless of metabolic phenotype, has a protective role over the specific abdominal fat depots among children with overweight/obesity.
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