Insulin Sensitivity as an Independent Predictor of Fat Mass Gain in Hispanic Adolescents
- Tanja C. Adam, PHD,
- Claudia Toledo-Corral, MS,
- Christianne J. Lane, PHD,
- Marc J. Weigensberg, MD,
- Donna Spruijt-Metz, PHD,
- Jaimie N. Davies, PHD and
- Michael I. Goran, PHD
- From the Departments of Preventive Medicine, Physiology, Biophysics, and Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
- Corresponding author: Michael I. Goran, goran{at}usc.edu.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between changes in insulin sensitivity and subsequent changes in fat mass in obese Hispanic children over 3 consecutive years.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In a longitudinal research design, insulin sensitivity (Si) of 96 research participants was determined at baseline and 1 year later. Body adiposity was assessed at four assessments.
RESULTS The change in Si during the first year of the study was a significant predictor of further fat mass development (P < 0.05). Considering different directions of Si change, Si was a strong predictor for further fat mass development only in the group that decreased their Si (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS The results show that the direction of change in insulin sensitivity at an early age is an important independent predictor for further fat mass development and emphasize the importance of insulin sensitivity as a primary target for long-term obesity prevention, as well as the significance of early age intervention.
Footnotes
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The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked “advertisement” in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.
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- Received May 6, 2009.
- Accepted July 27, 2009.
- © 2009 by the American Diabetes Association.
