Relative Fat Mass as an Estimator of Abdominal Adiposity in Youth Across the BMI Spectrum from Normal Weight to Obesity
Authors' conclusion
RFM reflects abdominal adiposity besides %BF and could be used in longitudinal/interventional youth trials, obviating the need for expensive imaging to assess changes in total and abdominal adiposity.
Study context
- Population
- Youth aged 10–19 years (168 black/198 white) with normal weight and overweight/obesity, without secondary or syndromic obesity; VAT, SAT and TAT by MRI/CT, %BF by DXA
- Participants
- 358 participants
- Outcome
- Association of RFM with abdominal adiposity
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Correlation of relative fat mass (RFM) with VAT
r = 0.66
p < 0.001
Correlation of RFM with SAT
r = 0.79
p < 0.001
Correlation of RFM with TAT
r = 0.79
p < 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Differences in slope of RFM vs abdominal adiposity by age, race and sex
- Slope significantly greater in younger vs older youth for VAT, SAT and TAT
- Slope significantly greater in whites vs blacks for VAT
- Slope significantly greater in girls vs boys for SAT and TAT
Predictive ability of cohort-derived RFM (RFM-Y) vs traditional RFM
- %BF, R2 RFM-Y vs traditional RFM
- 0.83 vs. 0.77
- Abdominal adiposity, R2 RFM-Y vs traditional RFM
- 0.51 to 0.80 vs. 0.37 to 0.63
Original publication
Relative Fat Mass as an Estimator of Abdominal Adiposity in Youth Across the BMI Spectrum from Normal Weight to Obesity. Pediatr Obes. Published 15 October 2025. doi:10.
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