Body composition characteristics during puberty in girls and boys from Eastern Austria

Puberty represents the final stage of sexual differentiation during which time the individual acquires reproductive capacity. Puberty is not only characterized by maturation of sexual organs and the formation of oocytes and mature spermatozoa, but also by the development of secondary sexual dimorphism. In industrialized countries the age of puberty has decreased steadily over the last 150 years in association with improved socio-economic conditions. However, the decreased onset of puberty is, especially in the female sex, associated with problematic changes in behaviour such as early onset of sexual activity and resulting in high risk teenage pregnancies. First of all, the improved nutritional status during childhood is discussed as a major cause for the decrease of puberty onset, whereas the impact of nutritional status especially on female sexual maturity is discussed controversially. In our study we analysed the association between body composition (fat tissue and fat free body mass, estimated by BIA analyses), height, Body Mass Index and fat distribution, and signs of puberty such as the timing of menarche in 228 girls and voice breaking and facial hair growth in 191 boys ageing between 10 and 15 years. In both sexes signs of puberty were highly significantly associated with body composition parameters. Nevertheless, marked differences between the two sexes were observed: Female puberty was positively associated first of all with weight status and the absolute and relative amount of body fat, while in signs of male puberty were related positively with a higher amount of fat free body mass and a decreased fat mass. Male voice breaking was significantly associated with increased stature, body weight, waist and hip circumference, lean body mass and total body water, in contrast voice breaking was significantly negatively associated with the fat percentage, the total fat mass and the waist to hip ratio. Female menarche was significantly positively associated with increased body weight, weight status, waist and hip circumference but also with increased absolute and relative fat mass, relative hip circumference, lean body mass and total body water. Only the waist to hip ratio was significantly negatively associated with the onset of menarche.     

Growth variation, final height and secular trend. Proceedings of the 17th Aschauer Soiree, 7th November 2009

Growth and body height have always been topics interesting to the public. In particular, the stupendous increase of some 15-19 cm in final adult height during the last 150 years in most European countries (the “secular trend”), the concomitant changes in body and head proportions, the tendency towards early onset of sexual maturation, the changes in the age when final height is being reached, and the very recent trend in body mass index, have generated much scientific literature. The marked plasticity of growth in height and weight over time causes problems. Child growth references differ between nations, they tend to quickly become out of date, and raise a number of questions regarding fitting methods, effects caused by selective drop-out, etc. New findings contradict common beliefs about the primary importance of nutritional and health related factors for secular changes in growth. There appears to be a broad age span from mid-childhood to early adolescence that is characterised by a peculiar insusceptibility. Environmental factors that are known to influence growth during this age span appear to have only little or no impact on final height. Major re-arrangements in height occur at an age when puberty has almost been completed and final height has almost been reached, implying that factors, which drive the secular trend in height, are limited to early childhood and late adolescence.     

Relation of infant diet to childhood health: seven year follow up of cohort of children in Dundee infant feeding study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation of infant feeding practice to childhood respiratory illness, growth, body composition, and blood pressure. DESIGN: Follow up study of a cohort of children (mean age 7.3 years) who had detailed infant feeding and demographic data collected prospectively during the first two years of life. SETTING: Dundee. SUBJECTS: 674 infants, of whom 545 (81%) were available for study. Data on respiratory illness were available for 545 children (mean age 7.3 (range 6.1-9.9) years); height for 410 children; weight and body mass index for 412 children; body composition for 405 children; blood pressure for 301 children (mean age 7.2 (range 6.9-10.0) years). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Respiratory illness, weight, height, body mass index, percentage body fat, and blood pressure in relation to duration of breast feeding and timing of introduction of solids. RESULTS: After adjustment for the significant confounding variables the estimated probability of ever having respiratory illness in children who received breast milk exclusively for at least 15 weeks was consistently lower (17.0% (95% confidence interval 15.9% to 18.1%) for exclusive breast feeding, 31.0% (26.8% to 35.2%) for partial breast feeding, and 32.2% (30.7% to 33.7%) for bottle feeding. Solid feeding before 15 weeks was associated with an increased probability of wheeze during childhood (21.0% (19.9% to 22.1%) v 9.7% (8.6% to 10.8%)). It was also associated with increased percentage body fat and weight in childhood (mean body fat 18.5% (18.2% to 18.8%) v 16.5% (16.0% to 17.0%); weight standard deviation score 0.02 (-0.02 to 0.06) v -0.09 (-0.16 to 0.02). Systolic blood pressure was raised significantly in children who were exclusively bottle fed compared with children who received breast milk (mean 94.2 (93.5 to 94.9) mm Hg v 90.7 (89.9 to 91.7) mm Hg). CONCLUSIONS: The probability of respiratory illness occurring at any time during childhood is significantly reduced if the child is fed exclusively breast milk for 15 weeks and no solid foods are introduced during this time. Breast feeding and the late introduction of solids may have a beneficial effect on childhood health and subsequent adult disease.     

Body Composition Characteristics During Puberty in Girls and Boys from Eastern Austria

Puberty represents the final stage of sexual differentiation when the individual acquires reproductive capacity. Puberty is not only characterized by maturation of sexual organs and the formation of oocytes and mature spermatozoa, but also by the development of secondary sexual dimorphism. In industrialized countries, the age of puberty has decreased steadily over the last 150 years in association with improved socio-economic conditions. However, the decreased onset of puberty, especially in females, is associated with problematic changes in behaviour such as early onset of sexual activity resulting in high-risk teenage pregnancies. In our study, we analysed the association between body composition (fat tissue and fat-free body mass, estimated by BIA analyses), height, body mass index and fat distribution and signs of puberty such as the timing of menarche in 228 girls and voice breaking and facial hair growth in 191 boys ageing between 10 and 15 years. In both sexes, signs of puberty were associated, highly significantly, with body composition parameters. Nevertheless, marked differences between the two sexes were observed: Female puberty was positively associated with weight status and the absolute and relative amount of body fat, while in males, puberty was positively related with a higher amount of fat-free body mass and a decreased fat mass. Male voice breaking was significantly associated with increased stature, body weight, waist and hip circumference, lean body mass and total body water. In contrast, voice breaking was significantly negatively associated with the fat percentage, the total fat mass and the waist-to-hip ratio. Female menarche was significantly positively associated with increased body weight, weight status, waist and hip circumference and also with increased absolute and relative fat mass, relative hip circumference, lean body mass and total body water. Only the waist-to-hip ratio was significantly negatively associated with the onset of menarche.     

Sex‐specific reproductive investment of summer spawners of Illex argentinus in the southwest Atlantic

Energy investment in reproduction and somatic growth was investigated for summer spawners of the Argentinean shortfin squid Illex argentinus in the southwest Atlantic Ocean. Sampled squids were examined for morphometry and intensity of feeding behavior associated with reproductive maturation. Residuals generated from length‐weight relationships were analyzed to determine patterns of energy allocation between somatic and reproductive growth. Both females and males showed similar rates of increase for eviscerated body mass and digestive gland mass relative to mantle length, but the rate of increase for total reproductive organ weight relative to mantle length in females was three times that of males. For females, condition of somatic tissues deteriorated until the mature stage, but somatic condition improved after the onset of maturity. In males, there was no correlation between somatic condition and phases of reproductive maturity. Reproductive investment decreased as sexual maturation progressed for both females and males, with the lowest investment occurring at the functionally mature stage. Residual analysis indicated that female reproductive development was at the expense of body muscle growth during the immature and maturing stages, but energy invested in reproduction after onset of maturity was probably met by food intake. However, in males both reproductive maturation and somatic growth proceeded concurrently so that energy allocated to reproduction was related to food intake throughout the process of maturation. For both males and females, there was little evidence of trade‐offs between the digestive gland and reproductive growth, as no significant correlation was found between dorsal mantle length‐digestive gland weight residuals. The role of the digestive gland as an energy reserve for gonadal growth should be reconsidered. Additionally, feeding intensity by both males and females decreased after the onset of sexual maturity, but feeding never stopped completely, even during spawning.     

Sodium-lithium countertransport and body fat distribution.

The relationship between erythrocyte sodium-lithium countertransport (Na-Li CT) and body fat distribution is analyzed in a sample (n = 101) of normotensive and untreated hypertensive men participating in an epidemiological study of coronary heart disease risk factors. Na-Li CT is significantly and positively associated with both subscapular skinfold and waist to hip ratio, but not with triceps skinfold. The univariate correlation between Na-Li CT and blood pressure is diminished when adjusted for body mass index and waist to hip ratio. These findings support the existence of an association between Na-Li CT and central body fat distribution and suggest that the metabolic abnormalities associated with centrally distributed body fat could explain, at least in part, the association between Na-Li CT and blood pressure. The maximal velocity of the sodium-lithium countertransport (Na-Li CT) in erythrocytes has been reported to be directly associated with blood pressure and hypertension in numerous reports from both clinical and epidemiological studies. In most of these studies, indices of weight and/or adiposity (body mass index, in particular) have been shown to be among the most important correlates of Na-Li CT. Adiposity is an important determinant of blood pressure, and there is evidence suggesting that the patterning of the fat cells in the body is linked to a number of metabolic disturbances that could lead to hypertension and an increase in other CHD risk factors. The present report analyses the relationship between Na-Li CT and body fat distribution in a sample of normotensive and untreated hypertensive men participating in an epidemiological study.     

Association of birth weight and current body size to blood pressure in female twins.

It has been proposed that low birth weight is associated with high levels of blood pressure in later life. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship of blood pressure to birth weight and current body size during growth and adulthood. A total of 711 female multiple births, with one group of 244 in their growth phase mean age 12.0 (2.3)(SD) years and the other of 467 adults (mean age 35.2 (12.6) years), had height, weight and both systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressures measured, and self-reported their birth weight. Regression analyses were performed to assess the cross-sectional and within-pair associations of blood pressure to birth weight, with and without adjustments for current body size. Within-pair analysis was based on 296 twin pairs. Cross-sectionally, a reduction in birth weight of 1 kg was associated with 2 to 3 mm Hg higher age-adjusted SBP, which was of marginal significance and explained about 2% of the population variance. Adjustment for body mass index did not significantly change this association. Within-pair analyses found no association between birth weight and SBP or DBP,even after adjusting for current body size. After age, current body size was the strongest predictor of systolic BP. The weak association of blood pressure to birth weight cross-sectionally is of interest, but any within-pair effect of birth weight on blood pressure must be minimal compared with the effect of current body size.     

Associations between Childhood Body Size,Composition, Blood Pressure and Adult Cardiac Structure: The Fels Longitudinal Study

Objectives

To determine whether childhood body size, composition and blood pressure are associated with adult cardiac structure by estimating childhood “age of divergence.”

Methods

385 female and 312 male participants in the Fels Longitudinal Study had echocardiographic measurements of left ventricular mass, relative wall thickness, and interventricular septal thickness. Also available were anthropometric measurements of body mass index, waist circumference, percentage body fat, fat free mass, total body fat, and systolic and diastolic blood pressures, taken in both childhood and adulthood. The age of divergence is estimated as the lowest age at which childhood measurements are significantly different between patients with low and high measurements of adult cardiac structure.

Results

Childhood body mass index is significantly associated with adult left ventricular mass (indexed by height) in men and women (ages of divergence: 7.5 years and 11.5 years, respectively), and with adult interventricular septal thickness in boys (age of divergence: 9 years). Childhood waist circumference indexed by height is associated with left ventricular mass (indexed by height) in boys (age of divergence: 8 years). Cardiac structure was in general not associated with childhood body composition and blood pressure.

Conclusions

Though results are affected by adult body size, composition and blood pressure, some aspects of adult cardiac structure may have their genesis in childhood body size.     

Body mass and body fat in Hungarian schoolboys: differences between 1980-2005

The prevalence of juvenile excess weight keeps growing in the more developed world (WHO, 1998). The aim of the study was to compare the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Hungarian schoolboys in 1980 and 2005.Two independent representative data collections were performed in volunteer boys aged between 6.51 and 18.50 years in the same 90 settlements of the country in 1980 (n=13,061) and 2005 (n=13,060). Height, body mass, and five skinfolds were measured by the same investigators in both instances. Overweight and obesity were estimated by using BMI (Cole et al., 2000), respectively skinfold thicknesses (Parízková, 1961).The pair-wise differences between height means were consistently significant in the 12 age groups studied. Body mass differences were not exactly proportionate with height. The boys of 2005 had significantly more relative body fat than those of 1980. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was remarkably higher in 2005.Taller height and a part of the heavier body mass in 2005 was attributed to a positive secular growth trend. The increases in BMI and fat content are negative consequences of a markedly changed lifestyle associated with inactivity and dietary habits. Because of its public health importance the trends of childhood obesity should be closely monitored.     

Relations among measures of body composition, age, and sex in the common marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus)

Few studies of body composition have been done in New World primates. In the study reported here, four methods of assessing body composition (body weight, anthropometry, labeled-water dilution, and total body electroconductivity) were compared in 20 marmosets, aged 0.96 to 7.97 years. Males and females did not differ in any measure (P > 0.05). Body weight ranged from 272 to 466 g, and body fat estimates varied from 1.6 to 19.5%. Strong positive correlations were observed between total body water and total body electroconductivity (R2 = 0.77), body weight and fat-free mass (males R2 = 0.95; females R2 = 0.91), and body weight and fat mass (males R2 = 0.86; females R2 = 0.85; P < 0.01). Male and female slopes were equivalent (P > 0.05) for the regressions of fat and fat-free mass against body weight. Positive correlations also were observed between girth measures and fat-free mass (R2 = 0.48 to 0.78) and fat mass (R2 = 0.60 to 0.74; P < 0.01). A good second- order polynomial relationship was observed between age and fat-free mass for the combined sample (R2 = 0.64). Results indicated that: subjects were lean; there was no sexual dimorphism relative to measures; body weight provided a reliable estimate of fat and fat-free mass; and within-subject body weight changes reflected a similar relationship between body weight and fat-free mass as did that across subjects.     

Relationships between body dimensions and resting and working oxygen consumption in boys aged 11 to 18 years

The relationships between VO2 at rest, VO2max and VO2 during submaximal work on a treadmill with body weight, height and lean body mass assessed by densitometry were analyzed annually in 39 boys aged 11 to 18 years. Interindividual differences in VO2 at rest and VO2max during growth depended in the first place on interindividual differences in lean body mass, to a lesser extent on differences in body weight and least on differences in height. Intersubject differences in VO2 during submaximal work were primarily conditioned by differences in body weight, due to the fact that, at a given running speed, energy output depends on body weight. The differences in submaximal VO2 depended to a lesser extent on differences in lean body mass and least on differences in height. The relationships between VO2 increments and increases in body dimensions were somewhat different in 90 boys between the ages of 11 and 15 years: VO2max increments were determined primarily by changes in body weight and height, changes in lean body mass being of secondary importance. Increases in submaximal VO2 were influenced decisively by increments in body weight, followed by increments in lean body mass and least by increments in height. In the equation y = a.xb expressing the relationship of VO2max to body weight and height, the values of b at the ages of 14 and 15 years were 0.87 and 0.88 in relation to body weight, 2.63 and 2.72 in relation to height. These values are significantly higher than the theoretical values of 0.67 for body weight and 2.00 for height. Similar significant differences from these theoretical values were found for all values between the ages of 11 and 15 years.     

Associations of body mass index and waist:hip ratio with hypertension.

Canada Fitness Survey data for people aged 20 to 69 years were analysed by means of linear discriminant analysis to determine the effect of age, weight relative to height (body mass index) and weight distribution (waist:hip ratio) on hypertension (defined as diastolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg or more) for both sexes separately. All three variables had independent effects on hypertension, but partial correlation coefficients indicated that the contribution of waist:hip ratio was secondary to that of body mass index. The association of measurements of body fat (five skinfold measurements) with hypertension was also examined; overall these measurements gave no advantage over the more simply measured body mass index. The results confirm the importance of assessing the predominant location of body fat and the body mass index when examining excess weight in relation to disease.     

Size at birth, postnatal growth and risk of obesity

Epidemiological studies over the last 15 years have shown that size at birth, early postnatal catch-up growth and excess childhood weight gain are associated with an increased risk of adult cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. At the same time, rising rates of obesity and overweight in children, even at pre-school ages, have shifted efforts towards the identification of very early factors that predict risk of subsequent obesity, which may allow early targeted interventions. Overall, higher birth weight is positively associated with subsequent greater body mass index in childhood and later life; however, the relationship is complex. Higher birth weight is associated with greater subsequent lean mass, rather than fat mass. In contrast, lower birth weight is associated with a subsequent higher ratio of fat mass to lean mass, and greater central fat and insulin resistance. This paradoxical effect of lower birth weight is at least partly explained by the observation that infants who have been growth restrained in utero tend to gain weight more rapidly, or 'catch up', during the early postnatal period, which leads to increased central fat deposition. There is still debate as to whether there are critical early periods for obesity: does excess weight gain during infancy, childhood or even very early neonatal life have a greater impact on long-term fat deposition and insulin resistance? Early identification of childhood obesity risk will be aided by identification of maternal and fetal genes that regulate fetal nutrition and growth, and postnatal genes that regulate appetite, energy expenditure and the partitioning of energy intake into fat or lean tissue growth.     

Juvenile body weight and gonad development in a diallel cross among lines of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

Summary The influence of growth on the extent of heterosis for juvenile body weight and gonad development was studied in a diallel cross among two lines of Japanese quail differing in adult body size. A total of 1,096 birds (563 males and 533 females) was slaughtered between 25 and 49 days of age. Reciprocal cross differences were non-significant. Heterosis showed a curvilinear course with age peaking during early growth (body weight) and during sexual maturity (gonad percentage). Overall advanced physiological development of the crossbreds probably begins as early as during the embryonic stages and results in earlier sexual maturity. In females, heterosis for percentage gonads was biased strongly by the presence of a hard-shelled egg in the uterus.     

Sex and gender differences in secular trend of body size and frame indices of Lithuanians

In Lithuania, as in many other European countries, positive secular trend of body size became especially expressed at the middle of XX. century. The analysis showed the evident secular trend in height of adult Lithuanians since the end of XIX. century till 2001 from 163.5 till 181.3 cm in males and from 153.3 cm till 167.5 cm in females. Concerning growth and development of children, during the 1925-2001 period especially obvious acceleration of height was determined at the middle of adolescence due to much earlier sexual maturation at the end of XX. century. Secular trend of body height was more expressed in males of all ages, nevertheless this process stabilized in both sexes during the last decades. While comparing secular changes in BMI of adolescent Lithuanian girls and boys between the 1925-2001 period, the evident sexual differences in secular changes were determined from the middle of pubescence: the course of changes in BMI during the XX. century was nearly the same in both sexes, but at the end of XX. century older adolescent girls became obviously thinner compared with the changes of BMI in boys of the same age. A very similar trend in BMI of adult Lithuanian women since 1980 till 2002 was also detected. This phenomenon could be more related with the changes in life stile, modern-day canons for unrealistically thin female's body and strong social pressure on women today.     

Ethnic differences in body composition and obesity related risk factors: study in Chinese and white males living in China

The purpose of this cross-sectional observational study was to identify ethnic differences in body composition and obesity-related risk factors between Chinese and white males living in China. 115 Chinese and 114 white male pilots aged 28-63 years were recruited. Fasting body weight, height and blood pressure were measured following standard procedures. Whole-body and segmental body composition were measured using an 8-contact electrode bioimpedance analysis (BIA) system. Fasting serum glucose, fasting plasma total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and triglycerides (TG) were assessed using automatic biochemistry analyzer. After adjusting for age and body mass index (BMI), Chinese males had significantly higher percentage of body fat (PBF) both with respect to whole body (Chinese: 23.7%±0.2% vs. Whites: 22.4%±0.2%) and the trunk area (Chinese: 25.0%±0.3% vs. Whites: 23.2%±0.3%) compared to their white counterparts. At all BMIs, Chinese males had significantly higher fasting glucose levels (Chinese: 5.7±1.0 mmol/L vs. Whites: 5.2±1.0 mmol/L) but lower high-density lipoprotein levels (Chinese: 0.8±1.0 mmol/L vs. Whites: 1.0±1.0 mmol/L) than white males. In addition, a marginally significantly higher diastolic blood pressure was found among Chinese men than that among white men (Chinese: 80±1.0 mmHg vs. Whites: 77±1.0 mmHg). Chinese males had more body fat and a greater degree of central fat deposition pattern than that seen in white males in the present study. Furthermore, data on blood pressure, fasting glucose and blood lipids suggest that Chinese men may be more prone to obesity-related risk factors than white men.     

Obese children have higher arterial elasticity without a difference in endothelial function: the role of body composition

The childhood obesity epidemic is expected to increase cardiovascular disease risk, but the impact of obesity on vascular function in children is not fully understood. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of obesity and maturation on vascular function in normal weight (BMI: 25-75 percentile) and obese (BMI: ≥95 percentile) children ages 8-18 years old. Large and small artery elasticity (LAEI and SAEI, respectively), measured by diastolic radial pulsewave contour analysis, and reactive hyperemia index (RHI), measured by peripheral arterial tonometry, were obtained, along with anthropometric and biochemical outcomes, in 61 normal weight and 62 obese children. SAEI and LAEI increased with age and were 30% and 18% higher, respectively, in obese children (P < 0.01). In contrast, reactive hyperemia increased with age in the normal weight group but did not differ between groups. Multivariate modeling was used to select variables that explained differences in vascular outcomes. The best model for LAEI in normal weight children was height alone (r(2) = 0.49), whereas for obese children the best model included height + fat mass (r(2) = 0.40). For SAEI, there were no significant models for normal weight children, but for obese children the best model included lean mass + fat mass (r(2) = 0.36). Obese children had greater lean and fat mass, and more advanced Tanner stages than their normal weight peers. The increased elasticity observed in obese children appears to reflect accelerated growth and maturation without affecting vascular reactivity measured by reactive hyperemia. Longitudinal follow up will be essential in determining effects on future vascular disease risk.     

Menarche and father absence in a national probability sample

The relation between women's timing of menarche and father absence was examined in a national probability sample of Great Britain (NATSAL 2000; N>5000). Current body mass index (as a proxy for childhood weight) was examined as a potential mediator of this relationship, along with the potential moderating role that siblings (e.g. number of older brothers) had on this relationship. As in a number of previous studies, an absent father (but not an absent mother) during childhood predicted an earlier age of puberty (i.e. an early menarche). There was no evidence that weight mediated this relationship or that siblings moderated it. Both a lower body mass index and more siblings (e.g. more younger sisters and brothers) were independent predictors of a later timing of puberty. The results confirm that certain psychosocial factors (i.e. father absence; presence of siblings) may affect the timing of sexual maturation in adolescent girls.     

Body fat, abdominal fat, and body fat distribution is related to left atrial diameter in young children

In adults, the size of the left atria (LA) has important prognostic information. In obese adults, adolescents and children enlargement of LA have been observed. This has not been investigated on a population-based level in young children. We therefore assessed if total body fat mass (TBF), abdominal fat, and body fat distribution were related to LA diameter. Cross-sectional study of 244 children (boys = 137 and girls n = 107) aged 8-11 years, recruited from an urban population-based cohort. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measured total lean body mass, TBF, and abdominal fat mass (AFM). Body fat was also calculated as a percentage of body mass (BF%). Body fat distribution (AFM/TBF) was calculated. Echocardiography was performed with two-dimensional guided M-mode. LA diameter was measured and left ventricular mass (LVM) was calculated. Systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were measured and maturity assessed according to Tanner. There were significant (P < 0.05) univariate correlations for all children between TBF (r = 0.40), BF% (r = 0.32), AFM (r = 0.41), and AFM/TBF (r = 0.41) vs. LA diameter. Multiple regression analyses with the inclusion of possible confounders such as lean body mass, blood pressure, gender, age, and Tanner stage revealed that TBF, AFM, and AFM/TBF were all independently related to LA diameter. Differences in the different body fat measurements explained 6-9% of the variance in LA size. These results demonstrated that both total body fat, AFM, and body fat distribution are already at a young age negatively and independently associated to LA diameter.     

Juvenile onset inflammatory bowel disease: height and body mass index in adult life.

OBJECTIVE--To establish the frequency of permanent growth failure in juvenile onset inflammatory bowel disease. DESIGN--Measurement of height and weight in a geographically based cohort at a mean of 14 (range 5.2-29.5) years after diagnosis. Comparison with data from surveys of British adults in 1980 and 1987. SETTING--NHS hospitals throughout Scotland. SUBJECTS--105 Children admitted to hospital during 1968-83 who fulfilled diagnostic criteria for Crohn''s disease or ulcerative colitis and lived in specified regions. 87 were aged over 18 and living in Britain at follow up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Height, weight, body mass index, and sexual maturity. RESULTS--All patients were sexually mature. 67 of the 70 patients examined were of normal height, and three women with Crohn''s disease were abnormally short. Weight and body mass index were normal in all patients with ulcerative colitis. Patients with Crohn''s disease had significantly lower weight than those with ulcerative colitis (men 66.8 (9.5) kg v 78.4 (13.8) kg, P = 0.04; women 51.5 (8.2) kg v 63.0 (12.1) kg, P < 0.02) irrespective of disease activity. Body mass index was also significantly lower than the normal distribution (P < 0.01). Growth retardation was not mentioned as a problem for any of the 17 patients interviewed only by telephone. CONCLUSIONS--Despite growth retardation in the teenage years most young people with inflammatory bowel disease will eventually achieve normal height. Reasons for lower weight in patients with Crohn''s disease remain to be established.