Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #116321
Title: ENERGY EXPENDITURE OF STUNTED AND NON-STUNTED BOYS AND GIRLS LIVING IN THE SHANTYTOWNS OF SAO PAULO, BRAZIL

Author
item HOFMAN, DANIEL - HNRCA
item SAWAYA, ANA - HNRCA
item COWARD, W - HNRCA
item MARTINS, PAULA - HNRCA
item DE NASCIMENTO, CELIA - HNRCA
item ROBERTS, SUSAN - HNRCA

Submitted to: Obesity Research
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2000
Publication Date: 10/1/2000
Citation: HOFMAN, D.J., SAWAYA, A.L., COWARD, W.A., MARTINS, P.A., DE NASCIMENTO, C., ROBERTS, S.B. ENERGY EXPENDITURE OF STUNTED AND NON-STUNTED BOYS AND GIRLS LIVING IN THE SHANTYTOWNS OF SAO PAULO, BRAZIL. OBESITY RESEARCH.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide, even among countries that have traditionally suffered from high rates of undernutrition. Several studies have suggested that nutritional stunting, and indicator of undernutrition early in life, may be a contributing factor to the high levels of obesity in developing countries. The mechanisms underlying the apparent association between stunting and obesity have received little attention. The aim of this study was to determine whether stunted children have reduced energy expenditure, a factor that has predicted an increased risk of obesity in some high-risk populations. A cross-sectional study was conducted in children from the shantytowns of Sao Paulo, Brazil. 28 stunted children (HAZ < -1.50)aged 8-11 years were compared to 30non- stunted children with similar age and WHZ. Free-living total energy expenditure (TEE was measured over 7 days using the doubly labeled water method. Resting energy expenditure (REE) was measured using indirect calorimetry, and body composition by dual x-ray absorptiometry. There were no significant associations between stunting and any measured energy expenditure parameter including REE adjusted for lean body mass (LBM) and TEE adjusted for LBM. In multiple regression models that included fat-free mass and fat mass, girls had significantly lower TEE may in part explain the observation that girls in general, and stunted girls in particular, tend to become more overweight more frequently than male counterparts. Longitudinal studies are planned to evaluate body fat during adolescence in stunted and control boys and girls.