研究证实肥胖存在于基因中
NEW YORK, Sep 25 (Reuters Health) - New study findings confirm what many would believe to be common sense--that overweight parents are more likely to have overweight children.
The idea that body composition--the distribution of fat and muscle within the body--is a trait genetically passed on to children from their parents is not new, but for the first time researchers have confirmed previous findings by using an instrument called a dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The investigators report their results in the October issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
"This study used a DXA scan to determine the composition of the body. Previous studies had relied on weight and height measures only," lead author Dr. Margarita S. Treuth of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, said in an interview with Reuters Health.
"In addition, young girls and their parents were studied, whereas other studies have examined this in adult offspring," she added.
In the study, 101 normal-weight girls between the ages of 8 and 9 and their biological parents participated in a battery of body measurements. The researchers measured body fat, body composition, levels of potassium and body mass index (BMI), a measure of weight in relation to height that is used to assess obesity in adults.
In general, the investigators found that the girls' body fat composition, as measured by DXA, was similar to that of their parents. Girls with overweight parents tended to be on the heavier side of normal body weight for their age, while girls with leaner parents were more likely to be on the lighter side of normal, Treuth explained.
The findings point to heredity as a factor that contributes to a person's body composition, she noted.
"Now we know (which children) need to be targets for intervention," Treuth told Reuters Health.
"Treatment and prevention of obesity may need to be targeted to children of overweight or obese parents in particular, since they will be at higher risk of related complications of obesity," she concluded.
Exception:java.sql.SQLException: Closed Statement: next, http://www.100md.com
The idea that body composition--the distribution of fat and muscle within the body--is a trait genetically passed on to children from their parents is not new, but for the first time researchers have confirmed previous findings by using an instrument called a dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The investigators report their results in the October issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
"This study used a DXA scan to determine the composition of the body. Previous studies had relied on weight and height measures only," lead author Dr. Margarita S. Treuth of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, said in an interview with Reuters Health.
"In addition, young girls and their parents were studied, whereas other studies have examined this in adult offspring," she added.
In the study, 101 normal-weight girls between the ages of 8 and 9 and their biological parents participated in a battery of body measurements. The researchers measured body fat, body composition, levels of potassium and body mass index (BMI), a measure of weight in relation to height that is used to assess obesity in adults.
In general, the investigators found that the girls' body fat composition, as measured by DXA, was similar to that of their parents. Girls with overweight parents tended to be on the heavier side of normal body weight for their age, while girls with leaner parents were more likely to be on the lighter side of normal, Treuth explained.
The findings point to heredity as a factor that contributes to a person's body composition, she noted.
"Now we know (which children) need to be targets for intervention," Treuth told Reuters Health.
"Treatment and prevention of obesity may need to be targeted to children of overweight or obese parents in particular, since they will be at higher risk of related complications of obesity," she concluded.
Exception:java.sql.SQLException: Closed Statement: next, http://www.100md.com