use of body mass index for measurement of fat mass in children is highly dependant on abdominal fat

We examined the relationship between body fat and body mass index [BMI] in a multiethnic population of obese children. BMI z-scores were compared to DEXA measures of whole body composition and regional fat distribution. Fat mass index [FMI] was best predicted by the equation: 1/[[0.159 - 0.013 x percentile of total abdominal fat] - [0.01 x BMI z-score]], where percentile of abdominal fat ranges from 1 to 5. Predicted FMI had high agreement with FMI measured by DEXA. There were no detectable differences in this relation between different ethnic groups. Both BMI and abdominal fat should be used as a proxy to determine adiposity

[ constipation in the child. the functional explorations and treatment]

The constipation in the child is a term that means numerous situations which have the same characteristic: the defecation disturbance. his caused either by a slowness of the intestinal transit time which is made abvious by the speed of progression of inert markers or by internal sphincteral relaxation during the distention of the rectal ampulla, even, a hypertonia of the external sphincter. These anomalies are documented by functional explorations, particulary, the anorectal manometry or the defecography. The anorectal manometry permits in various constipations in the disturbances, and this permits in various constipations in the child, to find aphysiopathologic explanation about the disturbances, and this permits to orientate the treatment. The constipation in the child is idiopathic the most often, and the objective of the treatment is to result at a correct transit, in order to ovoid the permanence of this disturbance and the passage to the chronicity or to the encopresis that still a socially invalidant affection