Use of a morphometric method and body fat index system for estimation of body composition in overweight and obese cats

• Autores: Angela L. Witzel
• Localización: JAVMA: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, ISSN-e 0003-1488, Vol. 244, Nº. 11, 2014, págs. 1285-1290
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Objective—To develop morphometric equations for prediction of body composition and create a body fat index (BFI) system to estimate body fat percentage in overweight and obese cats.

    Design—Prospective evaluation study.

    Animals—76 overweight or obese cats ≥ 1 year of age.

    Procedures—Body condition score (BCS) was determined with a 5-point scale, morphometric measurements were made, and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) was performed. Visual and palpation-based evaluation of various body regions was conducted, and results were used for development of the BFI system. Best-fit multiple regression models were used to develop equations for predicting lean body mass and fat mass from morphometric measurements. Predicted values for body composition components were compared with DEXA results.

    Results—For the study population, prediction equations accounted for 85% of the variation in lean body mass and 98% of the variation in fat mass. Values derived from morphometric equations for fat mass and lean mass were within 10% of DEXA values for 55 of 76 (72%) and 66 of 76 (87%) cats, respectively. Body fat as a percentage of total body weight (ie, body fat percentage) predicted with the BCS and BFI was within 10% of the DEXA value for 5 of 39 (13%) and 22 of 39 (56%) cats, respectively.

    Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—The BFI system and morphometric equations were considered accurate for estimation of body composition components in overweight and obese cats of the study population and appeared to be more useful than BCS for evaluation of these patients. Further research is needed to validate the use of these methods in other feline populations. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2014;244:1285–1290) Reports in recent years indicate that obesity in pet cats is a growing problem,1 with approximately 25% to 40% of pet cats considered overweight or obese.2–5 Obesity is associated with a wide range of diseases in cats, including diabetes and other metabolic and endocrine disorders, oral disease, and lower urinary tract diseases as well as decreased longevity.6,7 Although DEXA is considered the reference method for assessment of body condition in cats,8 it is expensive and impractical for routine use. Several numeric BCS systems have been developed for body condition assessment on the basis of palpation and visual assessment of the animal's silhouette.6,9,10 Body condition scores correspond reasonably well with body fat as a percentage of total body weight (ie, body fat percentage) for normal to slightly overweight animals but can underestimate adiposity for the most obese cats. To design effective weight loss plans, veterinarians must estimate energy requirements on the basis of ideal weight. Without broader tools to assess the body composition, weight loss plans can fail in morbidly obese cats.

    Equations based on morphometric measurements have been developed as a simple, noninvasive, and accurate way to predict body fat percentage in dogs,11,12 and this approach has also been used for lean, anesthetized cats.13 The purpose of the study reported here was to develop equations for accurate prediction of lean body mass and fat mass on the basis of morphometric measurements and to create a visual assessment– and palpation-based BFI system to accurately predict body fat percentage in overweight or obese cats with DEXA used as a reference standard. We further intended to assess the accuracy of a 5-point BCS for estimation of body fat percentage in this population. Our group has recently tested similar tools for assessment of body composition in overweight and obese dogs.14