Childhood High Adiposity has no Advantage for Height in Adulthood: Cross-Sectional Studies in Indonesian Children to Young Adults.

Background: Childhood obesity is associated with faster linear growth; nonetheless, its benefit to the mature height of Indonesian children is questionable. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between adiposity and height growth of Indonesian children, adolescents, and young adults aged 7 to 23 years.

Methods: Height and skinfolds at triceps, subscapular, suprailiac, and calf were measured in 2,520 children, adolescents, and young adults aged 7 to 23 years (boys = 1,116, girls = 1,404). Central adiposity (subscapular and suprailiac skinfolds) and peripheral adiposity (triceps and calf skinfolds) were projected against heights in each age group. The ANCOVA test and partial correlation were used for statistical analysis.

Results: With the exception of ages 8 to 12 years, boys were always taller than girls after controlling for age and central or peripheral adiposity. Boys with higher central and peripheral adiposity were taller than their peers up to the age of 17 (r = 0.30-0.72, P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Girls with central adiposity grew taller than their thinner peers until the age of 14 (r = 0.17-0.50, P < 0.05, P < 0.01), whereas girls with peripheral adiposity benefit from this advantage over a more extended period of time. Afterward, adiposity did not offer any benefit on heights.

Conclusions: Children with high adiposity who were taller at an earlier age have no significant advantage over their thinner peers in terms of adult height.