Fatness and fat distribution in Mexican-American children and youths from the Hispanic health and nutrition examination survey

Mexican-American children are shorter but relatively heavier than non-Hispanic white children. The excess relative weight is probably due to increased fat rather than lean body mass and, more specifically, to increased fat deposition on the upper trunk sites. The objective of this paper is to describe the level of fatness and fat distribution in a large, representative sample of Mexican- American children and adolescents from the recently completed Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HHANES). As expected, Mexican-American children are generally fatter than white children measured in previous national surveys (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey NHANES] II, Health Examination Survey HES]). Differences are particularly evident for trunk skinfold thicknesses and generally increase with age. Indices of fat distribution clearly show a centralized, upper body adiposity pattern among Mexican-Americans, a cause for concern since greater fat deposition on the trunk has been associated with increased risk of certain chronic disease.