Resting metabolic rate in preadolescent girls at high risk of obesity.

Objective: To investigate whether children at high risk of obesity have a reduced resting metabolic rate (RMR).

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Subjects: 93 healthy girls (age: 8-12 y) were allocated to one of four groups, according to the subjects' and their parents' weight status: group 1, overweight children with both parents overweight (OB/OB2; n = 17); group 2, normal weight children with both parents overweight (N/OB2; n = 28); group 3, overweight children of discordant parents (OB/OB1; n = 21) and group 4, normal weight children with both parents normal weight (N/OB0; n = 27).