Body weight gain during adulthood is known to be associated with a higher risk of cardiometabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, body weight gain contributes to higher (mostly abdominal) body fat later in life, as compared with body weight maintenance. Body fat that is stored in the abdomen (android body fat) is strongly associated with the risk of cardiometabolic disease, whereas peripheral body fat (gynoid body fat) is believed to be less detrimental for cardiometabolic health. Cardiometabolic disease is accompanied by changes in the blood metabolic profile, such as changes in cholesterol, fatty acids, amino acids and factors related to inflammatory processes. It is not known whether body fat measures, such as total body fat, trunk fat, leg fat and arm fat, measured during childhood and adolescence are associated with changes in the metabolite profile at young adulthood. Additionally, it is not known whether or how the metabolite profile changes following the onset of puberty, and whether these changes can be attributed to prior changes in body composition.
Therefore, we will examine the change in the metabolite profile following the onset of puberty, and we will examine the relation between fat indices at different stages of development (e.g. before and after puberty) and changes in the metabolite profile. In addition, it is known that men and women have a different body fat distribution, with men having more trunk fat, and women having more leg fat. We will examine whether the regional fat indices in men and women differentially associate with changes in the metabolic profile during childhood and adolescence.