Body Composition Changes in Korean Children and Adolescents.
- Author:
Young Ah LEE
1
;
Jung Sub LIM
Author Information
1. Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords:
Body composition;
Metabolic disease;
Fat distribution;
Korean;
Children and adolescents
- MeSH:
Adipose Tissue;
Adolescent;
Adult;
Body Composition;
Body Weight;
Child;
Chronic Disease;
Continental Population Groups;
Humans;
Metabolic Diseases;
Muscles;
Osteoporosis;
Puberty;
Risk Factors
- From:Journal of Korean Society of Pediatric Endocrinology
2010;15(1):7-13
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
The term body composition describes the percentages of fat, bone, and muscle in the human body; it reflects the nutritional or growth status in children and adolescents. Further, its evaluation is clinically important to assess the nutritional abnormalities, growth failure, progress of chronic diseases, or treatment measures for these conditions. Body composition parameters such as total body fat and fat distribution are risk factors for metabolic disease not only in adults but also in children and adolescents. Inadequate bone mineral acquisition and failure to achieve peak bone mass is a risk for subsequent osteoporosis. Therefore, measuring the body composition is important to ascertain the natural course of metabolic diseases and to develop strategies for their prevention because the body composition of children and adolescents is predictive of their body composition as adults. This article will review the basic concept and methods of measuring body composition. This review also deals with the evaluation of body composition in Korean children and adolescents. Because the body composition of individuals differs with age, body weight, puberty, sex, race, and ethnicity, it is important for pediatricians to know the characteristics of the body composition change in Korean children and adolescents.
