(05-08-10) Association between birth weight and visceral fat in adults1,2,3

Emanuella De Lucia Rolfe, Ruth JF Loos, C?line Druet, Ronald P Stolk, Ulf Ekelund, Simon J Griffin, Nita G Forouhi, Nicholas J Wareham and Ken K Ong
1 From the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, Cambridge, United Kingdom (EDLR, RJFL, CD, UE, SJG, NGF, NJW, and KKO), and the Department of Epidemiology, Groningen University, Groningen, Netherlands (RPS).
2 Supported by the MRC, United Kingdom (EDLR, RJFL, CD, UE, SJG, NGF, NJW, and KKO). The Fenland study is funded by the Wellcome Trust and the MRC.
3 Address correspondence to EDL Rolfe, MRC Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Box 285, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom. E-mail: [email protected] .
Background: Several studies reported inverse associations between birth weight and central adiposity in adults. However, few studies investigated the contributions of different abdominal fat compartments.
Objective: We examined associations between birth weight and adult visceral and subcutaneous abdominal fat in the population-based Fenland study.
Design: A total of 1092 adults (437 men and 655 women) aged 30?55 y had available data on reported birth weight, standard anthropometric measures, and visceral and subcutaneous abdominal fat estimated by ultrasound. In a subgroup (n = 766), dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry assessment of total abdominal fat was performed. Linear regression models were used to analyze relations between birth weight and the various fat variables adjusted for sex, age, education, smoking, and body mass index (BMI).
Results: After adjustment for adult BMI, there was an inverse association between birth weight and total abdominal fat [B (partial regression coefficient expressed as SD/1-kg change in birth weight) = ?0.09, P = 0.002] and visceral fat (B = ?0.07, P = 0.01) but not between birth weight and subcutaneous abdominal fat (B = ?0.01, P = 0.3). Tests for interaction showed that adult BMI modified the association between birth weight and visceral fat (P for interaction = 0.01). In stratified analysis, the association between birth weight and visceral fat was apparent only in individuals with the highest BMI tertile (B = ?0.08, P = 0.04).
Conclusions: The inverse association between birth weight and adult abdominal fat appeared to be specific to visceral fat. However, associations with birth weight were apparent only after adjustment for adult BMI. Therefore, we suggest that rapid postnatal weight gain, rather than birth weight alone, leads to increased visceral fat.

Source: Am J Clin Nutr 92: 347-352, 2010

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