Vitamin D Deficiency Associated With Substantial 0.8 cm Yearly Increase In Waist Circumference

Could Vitamin D Deficiency Make Kids Fat?

The researchers found that vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency was associated with a 0.1-point yearly increase in BMI and a substantial 0.8 cm yearly increase in waist circumference compared to vitamin D sufficiency.

While these numbers may seem modest, bear in mind that they are annual figures, meaning that the effects add up over the course of childhood and can translate into significant overall body fatness.

The researchers also saw slower increases in height among girls, but not boys, who were vitamin D deficient. These findings were independent of whether the children were considered thin, normal weight or overweight at the beginning of the study.