Metabolic characteristics of Appalachian children.

Purpose: The purpose of this investigation is to assess the physiological characteristics and the resting metabolic rates of a representative population of children in Buchanan County in order to identify those factors that may be contributing to the predisposition for being overweight or obese and provide nutritional and physical activity guidance for prevention.

Methods: Twenty-three volunteers from grades 5, 6 and 7 from Buchannan County, VA underwent parametric and metabolic testing over three consecutive years in order to determine their height, weight, BMI, percent body fat, resting oxygen consumption (VO), resting energy expenditure (REE), respiratory exchange ratio (RER) and daily energy expenditure (DEE) and consumption.

Results: Over the 3 year study period, subjects' BMI increased significantly over time (p = 0.