The Relationship between Body Fat Mass Percentiles and Inflammation in Children

Objective: Obesity has been associated with markers of increased systemic inflammation in both human and animal studies. Increased inflammation is linked to metabolic and cardiovascular disease. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between percentile body fat and inflammation in a nationally representative sample of US children. Methods: 6,950 children 8-18 years of age between 1999 and 2004 were studied. Measurement of body fat percentage was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan and converted to an age- and sex-adjusted percentile. The main outcome measures were abnormal c-reactive protein ( CRP > 1.0 mg/dl) and absolute neutrophil count ( ANC > 6,600). Results: Children with higher levels of body fat ( >= 70th percentile) had a higher odds of having elevated CRP ( OR 2.88-10.69) and elevated ANC ( OR 2.14-3.24) compared with children with body fat <70th percentile. Conclusions: The link between inflammation and body fat in children warrants further longitudinal research to understand the temporal relationship between overweight/obesity and inflammation in the pediatric obese population and its implications for chronic disease risk.