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Effect of protein intake and weight gain velocity on body fat mass at 6 months of age: The EU Childhood Obesity Programme

International Journal of Obesity volume 36, pages 548–553 (2012)Cite this article

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Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Higher protein intake during the first year of life is associated with increased weight gain velocity and body mass index (BMI). However, the relationship of protein intake and weight gain velocity with body composition is unclear.

OBJECTIVE:

To assess if the increases in weight gain velocity and BMI induced by protein intake early in life are related to an increase in fat or fat-free mass.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

In all, 41 infants randomized at birth to a higher or lower protein content formula (HP=17 and LP=24, respectively) and 25 breastfed infants were included. Anthropometric measures were assessed at baseline, 6, 12 and 24 months, and fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM) were assessed by isotope dilution at 6 months.

RESULTS:

Weight gain velocity (g per month) during the first 6 months of life was significantly higher among HP infants (807.8 (±93.8) vs 724.2 (±110.0) (P=0.015)). Weight gain velocity strongly correlated with FM z-score (r=0.564, P<0.001) but showed no association with FFM z-scores. FFM showed no association with BMI. Nevertheless, FM strongly correlated with BMI at 6, 12 and 24 months (r=0.475, P<0.001; r=0.332, P=0.007 and r=0.247, P=0.051, respectively). FFM and FM z-scores did not differ significantly between HP and LP infants (0.32±1.75 vs −0.31±1.17 and 0.54±2.81 vs −0.02±1.65, respectively).

CONCLUSION:

Our findings support the hypothesis that higher protein intakes early in life are associated with faster weight gain and in turn to higher adiposity. This mechanism could be a determinant factor for later obesity risk.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge Judith Marine and Silvia Olive for their valuable contributions to perform the field work and to Pilar Hernandez from IISPV for her advices on statistics. We are very grateful to the study participants for their commitment with the project and the study team.

DISCLAIMER

This manuscript does not necessarily reflect the views of the Commission and in no way anticipates the future policy in this area. Berthold Koletzko is the recipient of a Freedom to Discover Award of the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, New York, NY, USA.

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Author notes

  1. J Escribano, V Luque, N Ferre, G Mendez-Riera, B Koletzko, V Grote, H Demmelmair, L Bluck, A Wright and R Closa-Monasterolo: See appendix.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pediatrics Unit, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, IISPV, Reus, Spain

    J Escribano, V Luque, N Ferre, G Mendez-Riera & R Closa-Monasterolo

  2. Division of Nutritional Medicine and Metabolism, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, University of Munich Medical Centre, Munich, Germany

    B Koletzko, V Grote & H Demmelmair

  3. Medical Research Council, Human Nutrition Research, Elsie Widdowson Laboratory, Cambridge, UK

    L Bluck & A Wright

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for the European Childhood Obesity Trial Study Group

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Correspondence to R Closa-Monasterolo.

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Competing interests

The studies reported herein have been carried out with partial financial support from the Commission of the European Communities, specific RTD Programme ‘Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources’, within the 5th Framework Programme, research Grants no. QLRT-2001-00389 and QLK1-CT-2002-30582, and the 6th Framework Programme, contract no. 007036.

Appendix

Appendix

European Childhood Obesity Trial Study Group:

Beyer J, Fritsch M, Haile G, Handel U, Hannibal I, Kreichauf S, Pawellek I, Schiess S, Verwied-Jorky S, von Kries R, Weber M (Children's University Hospital, University of Munich Medical Centre, Munich, Germany), Zaragoza-Jordana M (Pediatrics Unit, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain), Gruszfeld D, Socha P, Dobrzańska A, Janas R, Kowalik A, Pietraszek E, Stolarczyk A, Socha J (Children's Memorial Health Institute, Warsaw, Poland), Carlier C, Dain E, Van Hees JN, Goyens P, Hoyos J, Langhendries J-P, Martin F, Poncelet P, Xhonneux A, Poncelet P (ULB Bruxelles and CHC St Vincent Liege), Perrin, E (Danone Research Centre for Specialized Nutrition, Schiphol, The Netherlands), Agostoni C, Giovannini M, Re Dionigi A, Riva E, Scaglioni S, Vecchi F, Verducci E (University of Milan).

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Escribano, J., Luque, V., Ferre, N. et al. Effect of protein intake and weight gain velocity on body fat mass at 6 months of age: The EU Childhood Obesity Programme. Int J Obes 36, 548–553 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2011.276

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