Sample records for obese children aged

  1. Attachment security and obesity in US preschool-aged children.

    PubMed

    Anderson, Sarah E; Whitaker, Robert C

    2011-03-01

    To estimate the association between attachment security in children aged 24 months and their risk for obesity at 4½ years of age. Insecure attachment is associated with unhealthy physiologic and behavioral responses to stress, which could lead to development of obesity. Cohort study. National sample of US children born in 2001. Children and mothers participating in the 2003 and 2005-2006 waves of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort, conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics. Our analytic sample included 6650 children (76.0% of children assessed in both waves). Attachment security at 24 months was assessed by trained interviewers during observation in the child's home. Insecure attachment was defined as lowest quartile of attachment security, based on the security score from the Toddler Attachment Sort-45 Item. Obesity at 4½ years of age (sex-specific body mass index ≥95th percentile for age). The prevalence of obesity was 23.1% in children with insecure attachment and 16.6% in those with secure attachment. For children with insecure attachment, the odds of obesity were 1.30 (95% confidence interval, 1.05-1.62) times higher than for children with secure attachment after controlling for the quality of mother-child interaction during play, parenting practices related to obesity, maternal body mass index, and sociodemographic characteristics. Insecure attachment in early childhood may be a risk factor for obesity. Interventions to increase children's attachment security should examine the effects on children's weight.

  2. Attachment Security and Obesity in US Preschool-Aged Children

    PubMed Central

    Anderson, Sarah E.; Whitaker, Robert C.

    2011-01-01

    Objective Insecure attachment is associated with unhealthy physiologic and behavioral responses to stress, which could lead to the development of obesity. We estimated the association between children’s attachment security at 24 months of age and risk for obesity at 4.5 years of age. Design Cohort study. Setting National sample of US children born in 2001. Participants Children and mothers participating in the 2003 and 2005-2006 waves of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort, conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics. Our analytic sample included 6650 children (76% of children assessed at both waves). Main Exposure Attachment security at 24 months was assessed by trained interviewers following observation in the child’s home. Insecure attachment was defined as lowest quartile of attachment security, based on the security score from the Toddler Attachment Sort. Outcome Measure Obesity at 4.5 years of age (sex-specific BMI ≥95th percentile for age). Results The prevalence of obesity was 23.1% in children with insecure attachment and 16.6% in those with secure attachment. For children with insecure attachment, the odds (95% confidence interval) of obesity was 1.30 (1.05, 1.62) times higher than for children with secure attachment, after controlling for the quality of mother-child interaction during play, parenting practices related to obesity, maternal body mass index, and sociodemographic characteristics. Conclusions Insecure attachment in early childhood may be a previously unrecognized risk factor for obesity. Interventions to increase children’s attachment security should also examine impacts on children’s weight. PMID:21383273

  3. [Association between different types of obesity and cardiovascular risk factors in school-aged children].

    PubMed

    Liu, Junting; Zhao, Xiaoyuan; Cheng, Hong; Hou, Dongqing; Mi, Jie

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this paper was to analyze the association between different types of obesity and cardiovascular risk factors (CRFs)in school-aged children. 3508 children aged 6-18 years old including 2 054 non-obese and 1 454 obese children were chosen as the population under study, from Beijing Children and Adolescents Metabolic Syndrome Study. Demographic data was collected through questionnaires while height, weight, waist circumference, and blood pressure were measured through physical check-up. Fasting blood glucose and blood lipids were also tested. Children were divided into four groups:without obesity, with general obesity, with abdominal obesity and with combined obesity. CRFs including dyslipidemia, impaired fasting glucose (IFG), and hypertension were scored. Multiple linear regression and logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association between different types of obesity and CRFs. From non-obese children, children under general-obesity, abdominal obesity and those with combined types of obesity, there appeared an increasing trend in the levels of blood pressure, blood glucose, and blood lipids, the prevalence dyslipidemia and hypertension (P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the risks of IFG among four types of obesity. After controlling for age, sex, and puberty stage, when compared with non-obese children, those children with abdominal obesity or combined types of obesity had 1.54 and 2.51 times of risks to only one CRF, while generally obese children had similar risk of dyslipidemia. When compared to the non-obese ones, children with general obesity, abdominal obesity, or combined types of obesity showed 3.32, 2.21 and 7.42 times of risks to ≥ 2 CRFs and 3.10, 3.67 and 10.75 times of risks to ≥ 3 CRFs. The cluster of CRFs increased with the levels of obesity (P < 0.001). Levels and cluster of CRFs were increasing along with the levels of obesity in school-aged children in Beijing. Children with combined types of

  4. Obesity related factors in school-aged children.

    PubMed

    Soltani, Parvaneh Reza; Ghanbari, Atefeh; Rad, Afagh Hasanzadeh

    2013-05-01

    Overweight and obesity is becoming an increasingly prevalent problem in both developed and developing world, and is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21(st) century. Although various studies demonstrated pediatric obesity-related factors, but, due to its ongoing hazardous effects, researchers aimed to assess obesity-related factors in school-aged children in Rasht, Iran. This was a case-control study which was performed in eight primary schools of Rasht. A cluster sampling method was used to select 320 students including 80 in case (BMI ≥85(th) percentile for age and gender) and 240 in control group (BMI = 5(th)-85(th) percentile for age and gender). Data were collected by a scale, a tape meter, and a form which consisted of obesity-related factors, and were analyzed by Chi-square, Mann-Whitney, and stepwise multivariate regression tests in SPSS 19. Findings showed that the mean and standard deviation of birth weight (g) in case and control groups were 3671 ± 5.64 and 190 ± 5.46, respectively (P = 0.000). 82.5% of case and 92.9% of control group had exclusive breastfeeding for 4-6 months (P = 0.024). Also, multivariate regression analysis indicated that birth weight, age, exclusive breastfeeding, and frequency of meals have significant effects on body mass index (BMI). It seems that more accurate interventions for primordial prevention are essential to reduce childhood obesity risk factors, including promotion of pre-pregnancy and prenatal care to have neonates who are appropriate for gestational age and also improving exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months of life. In addition, identifying children at risk for adolescent obesity provides physicians and midwives with an opportunity for earlier intervention with the goal of limiting the progression of abnormal weight gain.

  5. Risk factors for overweight and obesity in children aged 2-6 years.

    PubMed

    Kondolot, Meda; Poyrazoğlu, Serpil; Horoz, Duygu; Borlu, Arda; Altunay, Canan; Balcı, Elcin; Öztürk, Ahmet; Mazıcıoğlu, Mümtaz M; Kurtoğlu, Selim

    2017-05-01

    Understanding risk factors that may vary culturally can help improve preventive strategies for obesity. This is the first cross-sectional study aimed to determine the risk factors for overweight/obesity in children aged 2-6 years in a central Anatolian city in Turkey. A total of 1582 children (1351 healthy, 231 overweight/obese) aged 2-6 years were included from the Anthropometry of Turkish Children aged 0-6 years database. Age, gender, birth weight, birth order, mother's age, mother's body mass index (BMI), weight gain of mothers during pregnancy, presence of gestational diabetes, breastfeeding duration, history of formula feeding, mother's and father's education, mother's job, monthly income, smoking at home and physical activity, sleep duration and duration of television (TV) watching of the children were evaluated as independent risk factors. Logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate risk factors for overweight/obesity. Having a high family income compared to bad [odds ratio (OR)=1.96; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.237-3.106], increased the time of watching TV during the weekend (OR=1.094; 95% CI: 1.032-1.159), and similar physical activity level according to their peers compared to less (OR=2.957; 95% CI: 1.056-8.282) were found to be significantly associated with a higher risk of overweight/obesity in children aged 2-6 years old. The early childhood period seems to be important in the establishment of healthy behavioral patterns, especially limitation of TV watching and encouragement of physical activity. Obesogenic environment in families with high incomes need to be revealed.

  6. Effects of Childhood Asthma on the Development of Obesity among School-aged Children.

    PubMed

    Chen, Zhanghua; Salam, Muhammad T; Alderete, Tanya L; Habre, Rima; Bastain, Theresa M; Berhane, Kiros; Gilliland, Frank D

    2017-05-01

    Asthma and obesity often occur together in children. It is unknown whether asthma contributes to the childhood obesity epidemic. We aimed to investigate the effects of asthma and asthma medication use on the development of childhood obesity. The primary analysis was conducted among 2,171 nonobese children who were 5-8 years of age at study enrollment in the Southern California Children's Health Study (CHS) and were followed for up to 10 years. A replication analysis was performed in an independent sample of 2,684 CHS children followed from a mean age of 9.7 to 17.8 years. Height and weight were measured annually to classify children into normal, overweight, and obese categories. Asthma status was ascertained by parent- or self-reported physician-diagnosed asthma. Cox proportional hazards models were fitted to assess associations of asthma history with obesity incidence during follow-up. We found that children with a diagnosis of asthma at cohort entry were at 51% increased risk of developing obesity during childhood and adolescence compared with children without asthma at baseline (hazard ratio, 1.51; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-2.10) after adjusting for confounders. Use of asthma rescue medications at cohort entry reduced the risk of developing obesity (hazard ratio, 0.57; 95% confidence interval, 0.33-0.96). In addition, the significant association between a history of asthma and an increased risk of developing obesity was replicated in an independent CHS sample. Children with asthma may be at higher risk of obesity. Asthma rescue medication use appeared to reduce obesity risk independent of physical activity.

  7. Reduced genetic influence on childhood obesity in small for gestational age children

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Children born small-for-gestational-age (SGA) are at increased risk of developing obesity and metabolic diseases later in life, a risk which is magnified if followed by accelerated postnatal growth. We investigated whether common gene variants associated with adult obesity were associated with increased postnatal growth, as measured by BMI z-score, in children born SGA and appropriate for gestational age (AGA) in the Auckland Birthweight Collaborative. Methods A total of 37 candidate SNPs were genotyped on 547 European children (228 SGA and 319 AGA). Repeated measures of BMI (z-score) were used for assessing obesity status, and results were corrected for multiple testing using the false discovery rate. Results SGA children had a lower BMI z-score than non-SGA children at assessment age 3.5, 7 and 11 years. We confirmed 27 variants within 14 obesity risk genes to be individually associated with increasing early childhood BMI, predominantly in those born AGA. Conclusions Genetic risk variants are less important in influencing early childhood BMI in those born SGA than in those born AGA, suggesting that non-genetic or environmental factors may be more important in influencing childhood BMI in those born SGA. PMID:23339409

  8. Socioeconomic and Behavioral Characteristics Associated With Metabolic Syndrome Among Overweight/Obese School-age Children.

    PubMed

    Ham, Ok Kyung

    Obesity in children comprises a significant public health concern in Korea. As with increased prevalence of overweight and obesity among children, risk factors for metabolic syndrome (MetS) have also increased in this population. The purpose was to examine behavioral and socioeconomic factors that were associated with biomarkers of MetS among overweight/obese school-age children. A cross-sectional study was conducted, and a convenience sample of 75 overweight/obese school-age children participated. Socioeconomic and behavioral characteristics, anthropometric measurements, and physiologic examinations were studied. The data were analyzed using an analysis of covariance and logistic regression. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed in 27.8% of our population. Severe stress was significantly associated with elevated systolic blood pressure (P < .05). Among the family characteristics, children's perception of family income (wealthy and very wealthy) and mother's education level (high school or less) were associated with diagnoses of MetS in children (P < .05). The results indicated that certain socioeconomic and behavioral characteristics were associated with risk factors of MetS, and therefore, interventions to modify these risk factors are needed to promote the healthy development of overweight/obese school-age children.

  9. Perceptions of School Nurses regarding Obesity in School-Age Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moyers, Pamela; Bugle, Linda; Jackson, Elaine

    2005-01-01

    Obesity is epidemic in the nation's school-age population with African American and Hispanic children and adolescents specifically at risk. School nurses at elementary and middle public schools in the Missouri 8th Congressional District were surveyed regarding their perceptions of childhood obesity. School nurses supported preventive interventions…

  10. Prevalence and predictors of overweight and obesity among school-aged children in urban Ghana.

    PubMed

    Aryeetey, Richmond; Lartey, Anna; Marquis, Grace S; Nti, Helena; Colecraft, Esi; Brown, Patricia

    2017-01-01

    Childhood overnutrition is a serious public health problem, with consequences that extend into adulthood. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and determinants of overweight and obesity among school-age children in two urban settings in Ghana. This cross-sectional study involved 3089 children (9-15 years) recruited between December 2009 and February 2012 in Accra and Kumasi, Ghana. Socio-demographic, dietary, and physical activity data were collected using pretested questionnaires. BMI-for-age z-scores were used to categorize anthropometric data of the children as thin, normal, or overweight/obese. Determinants of overweight were examined using multiple logistic regressions. Seventeen percent of children were overweight or obese. Children who reported lower participation (< 3 times/week) in sports activity were 44% more likely to be overweight or obese (AOR = 1.44; 95% CI: 1.07, 1.94). Maternal tertiary education (AOR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.07, 3.42), higher household socioeconomic status (AOR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.18, 2.06), and attending private school (AOR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.31, 2.32) were also associated with elevated risk of overweight and obesity. Physical inactivity is a modifiable independent determinant of overweight or obesity among Ghanaian school-aged children. Promoting and supporting a physically active lifestyle in this population is likely to reduce risk of childhood overnutrition.

  11. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among Polish pre-school-aged children.

    PubMed

    Kułaga, Zbigniew; Gurzkowska, Beata; Grajda, Aneta; Wojtyło, Małgorzata; Góźdź, Magdalena; Litwin, Mieczysław

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity in a current, nationally representative, random sample of pre-school-aged children in Poland and to compare their overweight and obesity rates with their peers from the US and Norway. The height and weight were measured in a total of 5026 randomly sampled children aged 2-6 years and their Body Mass Index was calculated. The prevalence of overweight including obesity was determined using three definitions, i.e. those formulated by the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The overall prevalence of overweight including obesity in boys was 12.2%, 12.2%, 17.2% and in girls 15.0%, 10.0%, 19.1% according to the IOTF, WHO, CDC definition, respectively, and did not significantly differ in comparison with their US and Norwegian peers. The overall prevalence of obesity in boys was: 4.4%, 4.9%, 8.9% and in girls: 3.8%, 3.4%, 7.6%, according to the IOTF, WHO, CDC definition, respectively. Among Polish girls the obesity rate was higher compared to the female US peers. The obesity rate was higher in Polish boys compared to their Norwegian peers. The estimates of the prevalence of overweight and obesity varied substantially by age group, gender and depending on the definition used. Obesity rates among Polish girls and boys were higher compared to their American and Norwegian peers. The influence of overweight definitions should be taken into account when studying childhood overweight and obesity. Overweight and obesity preventive programs should be implemented at preschool age.

  12. Administration of Antibiotics to Children Before Age 2 Years Increases Risk for Childhood Obesity

    PubMed Central

    Scott, Frank I; Horton, Daniel B.; Mamtani, Ronac; Haynes, Kevin; Goldberg, David S; Lee, Dale Y.; Lewis, James D

    2016-01-01

    Background & Aims Childhood obesity is increasing and is associated with adult obesity. Antibiotics have been used to promote weight gain in livestock for several decades. Antibiotics are commonly prescribed for children, but it is not clear how exposure to antibiotics early in life affects risk for obesity. We performed a population-based cohort study to assess the association between antibiotic exposure before age 2 years and obesity at age 4 years. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of 21,714 children in The Health Improvement Network —a population-representative dataset of more than 10 million individuals derived from electronic medical records from 1995 through 2013 in the United Kingdom. Eligible subjects were registered within 3 months of birth with complete follow-up and height and weight were recorded within 12 months of their 4th birthday. Antibiotic exposure was assessed before age 2 years, and classified based on anti-anaerobic activity. The primary outcome was obesity at age 4 years. We performed logistic regression analyses, adjusting for maternal and sibling obesity, maternal diabetes, mode of delivery, socioeconomic status, year and country of birth, and urban dwelling. Results In the cohort, 1306 of the children (6.4%) were obese at 4 years of age. Antibiotic exposure was associated with an increased risk of obesity at 4 years (odds ratio [OR]=1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07–1.38). Odds ratios increased with repeated exposures: for 1–2 prescriptions, OR=1.07 (95% CI, 0.91–1.23); for 3–5 prescriptions, OR=1.41 (95% CI, 1.20–1.65); for 6 or more prescriptions, OR=1.47 (95% CI, 1.19–1.82). Antifungal agents were not associated with obesity (OR=0.81; 95% CI, 0.59–1.11). Conclusions Administration of 3 or more courses of antibiotics before children reach an age of 2 years is associated with an increased risk of early childhood obesity. PMID:27003602

  13. Administration of Antibiotics to Children Before Age 2 Years Increases Risk for Childhood Obesity.

    PubMed

    Scott, Frank I; Horton, Daniel B; Mamtani, Ronac; Haynes, Kevin; Goldberg, David S; Lee, Dale Y; Lewis, James D

    2016-07-01

    Childhood obesity is increasing and is associated with adult obesity. Antibiotics have been used to promote weight gain in livestock for several decades. Antibiotics are commonly prescribed for children, but it is not clear how exposure to antibiotics early in life affects risk for obesity. We performed a population-based cohort study to assess the association between antibiotic exposure before age 2 years and obesity at age 4 years. We performed a retrospective cohort study of 21,714 children in The Health Improvement Network-a population-representative dataset of >10 million individuals derived from electronic medical records from 1995 through 2013 in the United Kingdom. Eligible subjects were registered within 3 months of birth with complete follow-up and height and weight were recorded within 12 months of their 4th birthday. Antibiotic exposure was assessed before age 2 years, and classified based on anti-anaerobic activity. The primary outcome was obesity at age 4 years. We performed logistic regression analyses, adjusting for maternal and sibling obesity, maternal diabetes, mode of delivery, socioeconomic status, year and country of birth, and urban dwelling. In the cohort, 1306 of the children (6.4%) were obese at 4 years of age. Antibiotic exposure was associated with an increased risk of obesity at 4 years (odds ratio [OR] = 1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07-1.38). ORs increased with repeated exposures: for 1-2 prescriptions, OR = 1.07 (95% CI, 0.91-1.23); for 3-5 prescriptions, OR = 1.41 (95% CI, 1.20-1.65); and for 6 or more prescriptions, OR = 1.47 (95% CI, 1.19-1.82). Antifungal agents were not associated with obesity (OR = 0.81; 95% CI, 0.59-1.11). Administration of 3 or more courses of antibiotics before children reach an age of 2 years is associated with an increased risk of early childhood obesity. Copyright © 2016 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Obesity-Related Hormones in Low-Income Preschool-Age Children: Implications for School Readiness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Alison L.; Lumeng, Carey N.; Delproposto, Jennifer; Florek, Brian; Wendorf, Kristin; Lumeng, Julie C.

    2013-01-01

    Mechanisms underlying socioeconomic disparities in school readiness and health outcomes, particularly obesity, among preschool-aged children are complex and poorly understood. Obesity can induce changes in proteins in the circulation that contribute to the negative impact of obesity on health; such changes may relate to cognitive and emotion…

  15. [Gene-gene interaction on central obesity in school-aged children in China].

    PubMed

    Fu, L W; Zhang, M X; Wu, L J; Gao, L W; Mi, J

    2017-07-10

    Objective: To investigate possible effect of 6 obesity-associated SNPs in contribution to central obesity and examine whether there is an interaction in the 6 SNPs in the cause of central obesity in school-aged children in China. Methods: A total of 3 502 school-aged children who were included in Beijing Child and Adolescent Metabolic Syndrome (BCAMS) Study were selected, and based on the age and sex specific waist circumference (WC) standards in the BCAMS study, 1 196 central obese cases and 2 306 controls were identified. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood white cells using the salt fractionation method. A total of 6 single nucleotide polymorphisms ( FTO rs9939609, MC4R rs17782313, BDNF rs6265, PCSK1 rs6235, SH2B1 rs4788102, and CSK rs1378942) were genotyped by TaqMan allelic discrimination assays with the GeneAmp 7900 sequence detection system (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA, USA). Logistic regression model was used to investigate the association between 6 SNPs and central obesity. Gene-gene interactions among 6 polymorphic loci were analyzed by using the Generalized Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction (GMDR) method, and then logistic regression model was constructed to confirm the best combination of loci identified in the GMDR. Results: After adjusting gender, age, Tanner stage, physical activity and family history of obesity, the FTO rs9939609-A, MC4R rs17782313-C and BDNF rs6265-G alleles were associated with central obesity under additive genetic model ( OR =1.24, 95 %CI : 1.06-1.45, P =0.008; OR =1.26, 95 %CI : 1.11-1.43, P =2.98×10(-4); OR =1.18, 95 % CI : 1.06-1.32, P =0.003). GMDR analysis showed a significant gene-gene interaction between MC4R rs17782313 and BDNF rs6265 ( P =0.001). The best two-locus combination showed the cross-validation consistency of 10/10 and testing accuracy of 0.539. This interaction showed the maximum consistency and minimum prediction error among all gene-gene interaction models evaluated. Moreover, the

  16. Rise in childhood obesity with persistently high rates of undernutrition among urban school-aged Indo-Asian children.

    PubMed

    Jafar, T H; Qadri, Z; Islam, M; Hatcher, J; Bhutta, Z A; Chaturvedi, N

    2008-05-01

    Childhood obesity is an emerging global public health challenge. Evidence for the transition in nutrition in Indo-Asian developing countries is lacking. We conducted these analyses to determine the trends in nutritional status of school-aged children in urban Pakistan. Data on the nutritional status of children aged 5 to 14 years from two independent population-based representative surveys, the urban component of the National Health Survey of Pakistan (NHSP; 1990-1994) and the Karachi survey (2004-2005), were analysed. Using normative data from children in the United States as the reference, trends for age- and gender-standardised prevalence (95% CI) of underweight (more than 2 SD below the weight-for-age reference), stunted (more than 2 SD below the height-for-age reference) and overweight and obese (body mass index (BMI) 85(th) percentile or greater) children were compared for the two surveys. The association between physical activity and being overweight or obese was analysed in the Karachi survey using logistical regression analysis. 2074 children were included in the urban NHSP and 1675 in the Karachi survey. The prevalence of underweight children was 29.7% versus 27.3% (p = 0.12), stunting was 16.7% versus 14.3% (p = 0.05), and prevalence of overweight and obese children was 3.0 versus 5.7 (p<0.001) in the NHSP and Karachi surveys, respectively. Physical activity was inversely correlated with being overweight or obese (odds ratio, 95% CI, 0.51, 0.32-0.80 for those who engaged in more than 30 minutes of physical activity versus those engaged in less than 30 minutes' activity). Our study highlights the challenge faced by Pakistani school-aged children. There has been a rapid rise in the number of overweight and obese children despite a persistently high burden of undernutrition. Focus on prevention of obesity in children must include strategies for promoting physical activity.

  17. The prevalence of overweight, obesity and stunting in school children aged 6-19 years in Beijing, China.

    PubMed

    Wu, Huahong; Li, Hui; Zong, Xinnan

    2016-11-01

    Childhood/adolescent obesity and stunting are associated with heightened risk of metabolic syndrome. Understanding the prevalence and patterns of stunting, the emergence of overweight/obesity in children and adolescents and the concomitant risk for metabolic syndrome is of critical importance for public health policy. To investigate the prevalence of overweight, obesity and stunting in school children and adolescents aged 6-19 years in Beijing and to compare the differences in screening rates by national and international references. School children aged 6-19 years in Xuanwu, Haidian and Fangshan district were selected. Overweight and obesity in the children was screened for using the International Obesity Task-force (IOTF) and Chinese standards. Stunting was defined as height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) less than -2 using the 2009 Chinese standards and 2007 WHO reference. A total of 99 482 children were included in this survey. The prevalences of overweight and obesity are 17.7% and 14.4% in the Chinese standard, but they are 18.1% and 8.6% in the IOTF standard; there were significant differences between the prevalences of these two standards (p < 0.01). The prevalences of overweight/obesity in boys are all significantly higher than that of girls in every age-group (p < 0.05). Overall there was stunting in 2630 children and adolescents (2.6%) according to the Chinese standards, with 2.8% in boys, higher than the 2.5% of girls (p < 0.01). According to WHO standards, there was stunting in 1201 children and adolescents (1.2%) with 1.1% in boys and 1.3% in girls (p < 0.05). The prevalence of stunting in urban areas was 1.3%, which is significantly lower than that of suburban areas, at 3.9% (p < 0.01). The prevalence of overweight/obesity in children and adolescents aged 6-19 years in Beijing was close to western countries, which should be highly valued when considering public health policies and the problem of growth stunting should not be ignored.

  18. Rise in childhood obesity with persistently high rates of undernutrition among urban school-aged Indo-Asian children

    PubMed Central

    Jafar, T H; Qadri, Z; Islam, M; Hatcher, J; Bhutta, Z A; Chaturvedi, N

    2008-01-01

    Background: Childhood obesity is an emerging global public health challenge. Evidence for the transition in nutrition in Indo-Asian developing countries is lacking. We conducted these analyses to determine the trends in nutritional status of school-aged children in urban Pakistan. Methods: Data on the nutritional status of children aged 5 to 14 years from two independent population-based representative surveys, the urban component of the National Health Survey of Pakistan (NHSP; 1990–1994) and the Karachi survey (2004–2005), were analysed. Using normative data from children in the United States as the reference, trends for age- and gender-standardised prevalence (95% CI) of underweight (more than 2 SD below the weight-for-age reference), stunted (more than 2 SD below the height-for-age reference) and overweight and obese (body mass index (BMI) 85th percentile or greater) children were compared for the two surveys. The association between physical activity and being overweight or obese was analysed in the Karachi survey using logistical regression analysis. Results: 2074 children were included in the urban NHSP and 1675 in the Karachi survey. The prevalence of underweight children was 29.7% versus 27.3% (p = 0.12), stunting was 16.7% versus 14.3% (p = 0.05), and prevalence of overweight and obese children was 3.0 versus 5.7 (p<0.001) in the NHSP and Karachi surveys, respectively. Physical activity was inversely correlated with being overweight or obese (odds ratio, 95% CI, 0.51, 0.32–0.80 for those who engaged in more than 30 minutes of physical activity versus those engaged in less than 30 minutes’ activity). Conclusions: Our study highlights the challenge faced by Pakistani school-aged children. There has been a rapid rise in the number of overweight and obsese children despite a persistently high burden of undernutrition. Focus on prevention of obesity in children must include strategies for promoting physical activity. PMID:17942586

  19. Influence of Obesity on Foot Loading Characteristics in Gait for Children Aged 1 to 12 Years

    PubMed Central

    Mueller, Steffen; Carlsohn, Anja; Mueller, Juliane; Baur, Heiner; Mayer, Frank

    2016-01-01

    Background Overweight and obesity are increasing health problems that are not restricted to adults only. Childhood obesity is associated with metabolic, psychological and musculoskeletal comorbidities. However, knowledge about the effect of obesity on the foot function across maturation is lacking. Decreased foot function with disproportional loading characteristics is expected for obese children. The aim of this study was to examine foot loading characteristics during gait of normal-weight, overweight and obese children aged 1–12 years. Methods A total of 10382 children aged one to twelve years were enrolled in the study. Finally, 7575 children (m/f: n = 3630/3945; 7.0±2.9yr; 1.23±0.19m; 26.6±10.6kg; BMI: 17.1±2.4kg/m2) were included for (complete case) data analysis. Children were categorized to normal-weight (≥3rd and <90th percentile; n = 6458), overweight (≥90rd and <97th percentile; n = 746) or obese (>97th percentile; n = 371) according to the German reference system that is based on age and gender-specific body mass indices (BMI). Plantar pressure measurements were assessed during gait on an instrumented walkway. Contact area, arch index (AI), peak pressure (PP) and force time integral (FTI) were calculated for the total, fore-, mid- and hindfoot. Data was analyzed descriptively (mean ± SD) followed by ANOVA/Welch-test (according to homogeneity of variances: yes/no) for group differences according to BMI categorization (normal-weight, overweight, obesity) and for each age group 1 to 12yrs (post-hoc Tukey Kramer/Dunnett’s C; α = 0.05). Results Mean walking velocity was 0.95 ± 0.25 m/s with no differences between normal-weight, overweight or obese children (p = 0.0841). Results show higher foot contact area, arch index, peak pressure and force time integral in overweight and obese children (p<0.001). Obese children showed the 1.48-fold (1 year-old) to 3.49-fold (10 year-old) midfoot loading (FTI) compared to normal-weight. Conclusion Additional

  20. Flatfoot and obesity in school-age children: a cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Sadeghi-Demneh, E; Azadinia, F; Jafarian, F; Shamsi, F; Melvin, J M A; Jafarpishe, M; Rezaeian, Z

    2016-02-01

    Childhood obesity exerts abnormally high stresses on developing foot structures which can lead to structural deformity of the foot. Screening for foot problems in children with overweight helps detect interior risks restricting normal lifestyle in these individuals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of excess weight on the structure and function of the developing foot in students aged 7-14 years. A total of 667 participants were recruited for this cross-sectional study via a multi-level cluster sampling method (randomization was used within each cluster). All subjects (340 boys and 327 girls) attended primary and secondary schools in Isfahan City, Iran. The children's feet were evaluated using clinical assessments and footprint-based measures whilst fully weight bearing. Significant differences were observed in the frequency of flatfoot between normal weight, overweight and obese groups (P < 0.001); participants who were more overweight had flatter feet. Children with higher weight also had a more pronated heel, less dorsiflexion range and higher reported pain within physical activity. This study indicated that childhood obesity is associated with structural foot and ankle deformities and activity-related foot pain. © 2015 World Obesity.

  1. Impact of normal weight obesity on fundamental motor skills in pre-school children aged 3 to 6 years.

    PubMed

    Musalek, Martin; Kokstejn, Jakub; Papez, Pavel; Scheffler, Christiane; Mumm, Rebekka; Czernitzki, Anna-Franziska; Koziel, Slawomir

    2017-09-01

    Normal weight obesity is defined as having excessive body fat, but normal BMI. Even though previous research revealed that excessive body fat in children inhibited their physical activity and decreased motor performance, there has been only little evidence about motor performance of normal weight obese children. This study aims to establish whether normal weight obese pre-school children aged 3-6 years will have a significantly worse level of fundamental motor skills compared to normal weight non-obese counterparts. The research sample consisted of 152 pre-schoolers selected from a specific district of Prague, the Czech Republic. According to values from four skinfolds: triceps, subscapula, suprailiaca, calf, and BMI three categories of children aged 3-6 years were determined: A) normal weight obese n = 51; B) normal weight non-obese n = 52; C) overweight and obese n = 49. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC-2) was used for the assessment of fundamental motor skills. Normal weight obese children had significantly higher amount of adipose tissue p < 0.001 than normal weight non-obese children but the same average BMI. Moreover, normal weight obese children did not have significantly less amount of subcutaneous fat on triceps and calf compared to their overweight and obese peers. In majority of MABC-2 tests, normal weight obese pre-schoolers showed the poorest performance. Moreover, normal weight obese children had significantly worse total standard score = 38.82 compared to normal weight non-obese peers = 52.27; p < 0.05. In addition, normal weight obese children had a more than three times higher frequency OR = 3.69 CI95% (1.10; 12.35) of severe motor deficit performance ≤ 5 th centile of the MABC-2 norm. These findings are strongly alarming since indices like BMI are not able to identify normal weight obese individual. We recommend verifying real portion of normal weight obese children as they are probably in higher risk of health and motor

  2. Obesity increases metabolic syndrome risk factors in school-aged children from an urban school in Mexico city.

    PubMed

    Perichart-Perera, Otilia; Balas-Nakash, Margie; Schiffman-Selechnik, Esther; Barbato-Dosal, Annarella; Vadillo-Ortega, Felipe

    2007-01-01

    To characterize the nutritional status of school-aged children from an urban public school in Mexico City, Mexico, and to assess the influence of obesity on health status in a subgroup of these children. Cross-sectional descriptive study. A nutrition screening was done for all children, including anthropometric (ie, weight, height, and waist circumference) and blood pressure assessment. In the subgroup of children, complementary dietary and biochemical assessment (ie, glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, insulin, albumin, hemoglobin, and hematocrit levels) was done. Children from an urban school in Mexico City (N=561) aged 6 to 13 years. The representative subgroup (n=88) was selected based on age (9 to 12 years) and weight status (ie, normal, overweight, or obese). Descriptive statistics, correlations, mean differences tests (analysis of variance, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U), and chi(2) tests (categorical variables) were done with SPSS version 13 (2005, SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL). In the whole school, overweight and obesity prevalence were 27.1% and 21.4%, respectively. High systolic blood pressure was seen in 8.4% of children and 6.2% of children had prehypertension. Higher hypertension risk was seen in children with body mass index > or =95th percentile and waist circumference > or =90th percentile (88 cm). Significantly higher waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, insulin resistance indexes, and triglyceride levels were found among the obese when compared with normal-weight children. Childhood obesity prevalence is high in Mexico and it is having an influence on children's health. It is urgent to design, implement, and evaluate specific childhood obesity prevention programs.

  3. Trends in the Prevalence of Morbid and Severe Obesity in Australian Children Aged 7-15 Years, 1985-2012

    PubMed Central

    Garnett, Sarah P.; Baur, Louise A.; Jones, Aimee M. D.; Hardy, Louise L.

    2016-01-01

    Objective Children with severe obesity have greater risk of adverse health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to assess trends in the prevalence of morbid and severe obesity in Australian children between 1985 and 2012. Methods Secondary analysis of four national Australian cross-sectional surveys of measured height/weight in 7–15 year olds: Australian Health and Fitness Survey 1985 (n = 8,486), National Nutrition Survey 1995 (n = 1,541), the National Children’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey 2007 (n = 2,585) and the National Health Survey 2012 (n = 2,940). International Obesity Taskforce cut-point was used for morbid obesity (equivalent to a BMI ≥35kg/m2 at age 18 years). Severe obesity class 2 was defined as BMI ≥120% and <140% of the 95th percentile of the CDC 2000 growth charts or a BMI ≥35 and <40, and severe obesity class 3 as BMI ≥140% of the 95th percentile or a BMI ≥40. Results Between 1985 and 2012 the prevalence of morbid obesity increased from 0.2% to 1.8%, class 2 severe obesity from 0.3% to 2.0%, and class 3 from 0.1% to 0.5%. Children with morbid obesity represented 11.3% of children with obesity in 1985 and increased to 22.5% in 2012 (P = 0.005). Children with severe obesity represented 19.3% of children with obesity in 1985 and increased to 32.0% in 2012 (P = 0.016). The greatest increase was observed between 1995 and 2007. The proportion of children who were classified as morbidly or severely obese was not significantly different between 2007 and 2012, nor was it significantly different between age and sex groups. Conclusion Prevalence of morbid and severe obesity among children is low, but has significantly increased between 1985 and 2012. In contrast to overweight and obese children, children with morbid obesity require tertiary intervention. Failure to treat these children will have significant implications for the individual child and community. PMID:27171503

  4. Obesity in children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia in the Minnesota cohort: importance of adjusting body mass index for height-age.

    PubMed

    Sarafoglou, Kyriakie; Forlenza, Gregory P; Yaw Addo, O; Kyllo, Jennifer; Lteif, Aida; Hindmarsh, P C; Petryk, Anna; Gonzalez-Bolanos, Maria Teresa; Miller, Bradley S; Thomas, William

    2017-05-01

    To evaluate obesity and overweight in children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and associations with glucocorticoids, fludrocortisone and disease control. Adjusting body mass index-for-height-age (BMI HA ) percentile is proposed to correct misclassification of obese/overweight status in CAH children with advanced bone age and tall-for-age stature. Longitudinal. One hundred and ninety-four children with CAH seen from 1970 to 2013: 124 salt wasting (SW); 70 simple virilizing (SV); 102 females. Body mass index (BMI) end-points were overweight (85-94 percentile) and obese (≥95 percentile). Approximately 50% of the children had at least one BMI measurement ≥95 percentile and about 70% had at least one ≥85 percentile. Using BMI HA percentiles, obesity incidence decreased slightly in SW children (47-43%) and markedly in SV children (50-33%); however, overweight status was not reduced. Only 6% of SW and 1% of SV children were persistently obese (≥3 clinic visits) when BMI HA was applied, whereas overweight status persisted in 35% of SW and 33% of SV children. Most obesity or overweight when using BMI HA occurred before age 10 and there was no association with hydrocortisone (HC) or fludrocortisone dosing. Adiposity rebound for SW children occurred by 3·3 years and in SV females by age 3·8 years, over a year earlier than the adiposity rebound for healthy children. Children with CAH are at higher risk for early onset obesity and overweight with or without using BMI HA but rates of persistent obesity were lower than previously reported. Careful HC dosing during early childhood is needed to prevent increased weight gain and an early adiposity rebound. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Dietary and Physical Activity/Inactivity Factors Associated with Obesity in School-Aged Children123

    PubMed Central

    Perez-Rodriguez, Marcela; Melendez, Guillermo; Nieto, Claudia; Aranda, Marisol; Pfeffer, Frania

    2012-01-01

    Diet and physical activity (PA) are essential components of nutritional status. Adequate nutrition and an active lifestyle are key factors during childhood, because food habits track into adulthood. Children spend more time in school than in any other environment away from home. Studying the diet factors and patterns of PA that affect obesity risk in children during school hours and the complete school day can help identify opportunities to lower this risk. We directly measured the time children spent performing moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) at school, compared the amount and intensity of PA during school hours with after-school hours, and tried to determine if diet behaviors and PA or inactivity were associated with excess weight and body fat. This cross-sectional study included 143 normal-weight (NLW) and 48 obese children aged 8–10 y. Diet data were obtained from two 24-h recalls. Body composition was measured by bioimpedance. Screen time and sports participation data were self-reported. NLW children drank/ate more dairy servings than the obese children, who consumed more fruit-flavored water than the NLW group. Consumption of soft drinks, sugar-added juices, and fresh juices was low in both groups. Children were less active during school hours than after school. MVPA was lower during school hours in the obese group than in the NLW group. Schools, parents, and authorities should be more involved in promoting strategies to improve the dietary habits and PA levels of school-aged children, because this group is not achieving the recommended level of daily MVPA. PMID:22798003

  6. Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Differences between Normal-Weight, Overweight, Obese, and Morbidly Obese Children.

    PubMed

    Scott, Brian; Johnson, Romaine F; Mitchell Md, Ron B

    2016-05-01

    The severity of obstructive sleep apnea in children determines perioperative management and is an indication for postoperative polysomnography. The relationship between increasing weight and sleep apnea severity in children remains unclear. To compare demographic, clinical, and polysomnography parameters in normal-weight, overweight, obese, and morbidly obese children, as well as identify demographic factors that predict sleep apnea severity. Case series with chart review. Academic children's hospital. A retrospective chart review of 290 children aged 2 to 18 years who underwent polysomnography at an academic children's hospital was performed. Demographics, clinical findings, and polysomnographic parameters were recorded. Children were categorized as normal weight, overweight, obese, or morbidly obese. Differences were assessed using linear and logistical regression models. Significance was set at P < .05. Morbidly obese were older than normal-weight children (mean, 8.0 ± 0.5 years vs 5.8 ± 0.3 years; P < .001) and less likely to have a normal polysomnogram (16% vs 48%; P = .02). There were no differences in sex, ethnicity, birth status (term or preterm), or tonsil size between normal-weight, overweight, obese, and morbidly obese children. Sleep efficiency and percentage of time in rapid eye movement were decreased in morbidly obese compared with other children (P < .05). The apnea-hypopnea index was positively correlated with increasing body mass index z score only as a function of increasing age (P < .001). Obstructive sleep apnea severity is correlated with a combination of increasing age and weight but not with either variable independently. This study suggests that obese and morbidly obese older children are most likely to have severe obstructive sleep apnea. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2016.

  7. Independent effect of type of breastfeeding on overweight and obesity in children aged 12-24 months.

    PubMed

    Contarato, Aila Anne Pinto Farias; Rocha, Erika Dantas de Medeiros; Czarnobay, Sandra Ana; Mastroeni, Silmara Salete de Barros Silva; Veugelers, Paul J; Mastroeni, Marco Fabio

    2016-12-22

    This study aimed to analyze the effect of type of breastfeeding on the nutritional status of children between 12-24 months of age. This cohort study included 435 children born in 2012 in a public hospital in Joinville, Santa Catarina State, Brazil. Two years after delivery the mothers and their children were contacted in their homes for a new investigation of demographic, economic, nutritional, and anthropometric data. In the unadjusted analysis, children who were not exclusively breastfed were more likely to be overweight (including obesity) at 2 years of age (OR = 1.6; p = 0.049) than exclusively breastfed children. After adjusting for several covariates, children who were not exclusively breastfed had a 12% higher risk of overweight including obesity compared to unadjusted analysis (OR = 2.6 vs. OR = 1.8; p = 0.043). In addition, birthweight was also an independent determinant of overweight including obesity (OR = 2.5; p = 0.002). The practice of exclusive breastfeeding can reduce the risk of overweight in children from developing countries such as Brazil.

  8. Does maternal obesity have an influence on feeding behavior of obese children?

    PubMed

    Cebeci, A N; Guven, A

    2015-12-01

    Although the pathogenesis of childhood obesity is multi factorial, maternal obesity and parenting have major roles. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of maternal obesity on feeding practices toward their obese school children. Obese children and adolescents referred to the pediatric endocrinology department were enrolled consecutively. Height and weight of all children and their mothers were measured. Maternal feeding practices were measured using an adapted version of the Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ). Answers were compared between obese (Body Mass Index [BMI] ≥ 30 kg/m2) and non-obese mothers. A total of 491 obese subjects (292 girls, mean age 12.0 ± 2.8 years) and their mothers participated in this study. A direct correlation between children's BMI and their mothers' BMI was found (P<0.001) both in girls (r = 0.372) and boys (r = 0.337). While 64.4% of mothers were found obese in the study, only half of them consider themselves as obese. No difference were found in the scores of the subscales "perceived responsibility", "restriction", "concern for child's weight" and "monitoring" between obese and non-obese mothers. Child's BMI-SDS positively correlated with mothers' personal weight perception, concern for child's weight and restriction after adjustment for child's age (P < 0.001, P = 0.012 and P = 0.002, respectively). Mothers' BMI highly correlate with children's BMI-z-scores. The degree of child's obesity increases mothers' concern and food restriction behavior. While mothers of obese children have a high prevalence of obesity, maternal obesity was found to have no significant influence on feeding behavior of obese school children.

  9. Prevalence of overweight and obesity among children six to ten years of age in the north-east health region of Jamaica.

    PubMed

    Blake-Scarlettl, B E; Younger, N; McKenzie, C A; Van den Broeck, J; Powell, C; Edwards, S; Win, S S; Wilks, R J

    2013-03-01

    To estimate the prevalence and correlates of overweight and obesity among children six to ten years old in the North-East Health Region (NEHR) ofJamaica. Weights and heights were measured in a representative sample of 5710 children between the ages of six and ten years in 34 schools between October 2008 and March 2009. Overweight and obesity were defined as body mass index (BMI) Z-score > 1SD and >2SD, respectively based on the World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed age and gender-specific growth standards for children. Point prevalence estimates of overweight and obesity were calculated. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to estimate associations between overweight and obesity and age, gender and school location. Overweight and obesity prevalence among children six to ten years old in NEHR, Jamaica, was 10.6% and 7.1%, respectively. Overweight (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.18) and obesity (OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.26) prevalence increased significantly with age. Overweight (OR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.27, 1.80) and obesity (OR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.11, 1.67) prevalence was significantly higher among girls than boys. Children attending rural-public schools had less risk of being overweight (OR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.46, 0.70) and obese (OR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.28, 0.44) when compared with urban-public schools and private schools. Both overweight (OR = 2.11, 95% CI: 1.60, 2.78) and obesity (OR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.24, 2.28) were significantly more common among children attending private schools. After adjusting for age and gender the results still remained statistically significant. Overweight/obesity prevalence among children six to ten years old in NEHR of Jamaica is 17.7% with older children and girls having higher rates. Children attending urban-public and private schools have higher prevalence than those attending rural schools. Appropriately targeted interventions are needed to combat this problem.

  10. Sleep Duration and Overweight/Obesity in Preschool-Aged Children: A Prospective Study of up to 48,922 Children of the Jiaxing Birth Cohort

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Fenglei; Liu, Huijuan; Wan, Yi; Li, Jing; Chen, Yu; Zheng, Jusheng; Huang, Tao; Li, Duo

    2016-01-01

    Study Objectives: To examine the association between sleep duration and overweight/obesity in preschool-aged children. Methods: A total of 48,922 3-year old children enrolled in the Jiaxing Birth Cohort, who provided sleep information and anthropometric data, were included in the present study as baseline and were followed up to 5 years of age. Sleep duration was categorized as ≤ 10 hours, 11–12 hours, and ≥ 13 hours. Overweight and obesity were defined according to the cut point criteria in China. Prevalence ratios and risk ratios were used to assess the association between sleep duration and risk of overweight/obesity. Results: In cross-sectional analyses at baseline, the adjusted prevalence ratios (95% confidence interval) of overweight (with 11–12 h of sleep being considered the reference group) for children sleeping ≤ 10 h and ≥ 13 h were 1.13 (1.06–1.20) and 1.16 (1.09–1.24), respectively, whereas the adjusted prevalence ratios (95% confidence interval) of obesity were 1.25 (1.11–1.40) and 1.25 (1.11–1.42). In longitudinal analyses, the adjusted risk ratios (95% confidence interval) of overweight for children sleeping ≤ 10 h and ≥ 13 h were 1.48 (1.26–1.74) and 1.13 (0.96–1.34), while adjusted risk ratios (95% confidence interval) of obesity were 1.77 (1.30–2.40) and 1.19 (0.85–1.66). Restricted cubic splines regression supported U-shaped curvilinear associations between sleep duration and overweight/obesity in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Conclusions: Both short and overlong sleep duration are associated with a higher risk of overweight/obesity in preschool-aged children. Optimizing sleep duration may be an important modifiable intervention for overweight and obesity. Citation: Wang F, Liu H, Wan Y, Li J, Chen Y, Zheng J, Huang T, Li D. Sleep duration and overweight/obesity in preschool-aged children: a prospective study of up to 48,922 children of the Jiaxing birth cohort. SLEEP 2016;39(11):2013–2019

  11. [Determining factors of overweight and obesity in children at school age in Peru].

    PubMed

    Mispireta, Monica L

    2012-01-01

    Obesity in children at school age is an increasing problem in Peru. It concentrates in urban areas, mainly in Lima where one out of three children is overweight. An initial study in 80 schools in Lima showed that the lack of physical activity would have a greater impact on overweight and obesity in school children than the amount of food intake. More detailed studies are required. In spite of the limited information available regarding its determining factors, it is necessary to implement culturally-sensitive measures to fight this problem as part of the current nutritional policies, and prevent the problem from spreading, making sure the sustainability of the health system is not affected.

  12. Differences in taste sensitivity between obese and non-obese children and adolescents.

    PubMed

    Overberg, Johanna; Hummel, Thomas; Krude, Heiko; Wiegand, Susanna

    2012-12-01

    Taste sensitivity varies between individuals. Several studies describe differences between obese and non-obese subjects concerning their taste perception. However, data are partly contradictory and insufficient. Therefore, in this study taste sensitivity of obese and non-obese children/adolescents was analysed. In a cross-sectional study gustatory sensitivity of n=99 obese subjects (body mass index (BMI) >97th percentile) and n=94 normal weight subjects (BMI <90th percentile), 6-18 years of age, was compared. Sensitivity for the taste qualities sweet, sour, salty, umami and bitter was analysed by means of impregnated 'taste strips' in different concentrations. A total score was determined for all taste qualities combined as well as for each separately. Furthermore, the possible influence of sex, age and ethnicity on taste perception was analysed. An intensity rating for sweet was performed on a 5-point rating scale. Obese subjects showed-compared to the control group-a significantly lower ability to identify the correct taste qualities regarding the total score (p<0.001). Regarding individual taste qualities there was a significantly lower detection rate for salty, umami and bitter by obese subjects. Furthermore, the determinants age and sex had a significant influence on taste perception: older age and female sex was associated with better ability to identify taste qualities. Concerning the sweet intensity rating obese children gave significantly lower intensity ratings to three of the four concentrations. Obese and non-obese children and adolescents differ in their taste perception. Obese subjects could identify taste qualities less precisely than children and adolescents of normal weight.

  13. Wheezing, Sleeping, and Worrying: The Hidden Risks of Asthma and Obesity in School-Age Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fiese, Barbara H.; Everhart, Robin S.; Wildenger, Leah

    2009-01-01

    The present study investigated the co-occurrence of asthma and obesity in a sample of 193 children (mean age = 7.76 years). Specifically, this study was interested in delineating the associated comorbidities of internalizing symptoms and sleep disruptions among younger (younger than 7 years) and older elementary age children with asthma who were…

  14. Vital Signs: Obesity Among Low-Income, Preschool-Aged Children — United States, 2008–2011

    PubMed Central

    May, Ashleigh L.; Pan, Liping; Sherry, Bettylou; Blanck, Heidi M.; Galuska, Deborah; Dalenius, Karen; Polhamus, Barbara; Kettel-Khan, Laura; Grummer-Strawn, Laurence M.

    2013-01-01

    Background The prevalence of obesity among U.S. preschoolers has doubled in recent decades. Childhood obesity increases the risk for adult obesity and is associated with negative health consequences. Trends in the state-specific prevalence of obesity among low-income U.S. preschool children have not been examined since 2008. State-specific obesity prevalence surveillance helps determine the need for and impact of state and local obesity prevention strategies. Methods Measured weight and height data from approximately 11.6 million low-income children aged 2–4 years from 40 states, the District of Columbia, and two U.S. territories who participated in the Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System during 2008–2011 were used to estimate state obesity prevalence. Obesity was defined as having an age- and sex-specific body mass index ≥95th percentile, according to the 2000 CDC growth charts. Logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, and race/ethnicity were used to examine trends in the state-specific obesity prevalence. Results During 2008–2011, statistically significant downward trends in obesity prevalence were observed in 18 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Florida, Georgia, Missouri, New Jersey, South Dakota, and the U.S. Virgin Islands had the largest absolute decreases in obesity prevalence, each with a decrease of ≥1 percentage point. Twenty states and Puerto Rico experienced no significant change, and obesity prevalence increased significantly in three states. Conclusions and Implications for Public Health Practice Small but significant declines in obesity among low-income preschoolers were observed in 19 of 43 states/territories examined. Continued prevention efforts are needed to sustain and expand the implementation and evaluation of population-level interventions to prevent childhood obesity. PMID:23925173

  15. Obesity Severity, Dietary Behaviors, and Lifestyle Risks Vary by Race/Ethnicity and Age in a Northern California Cohort of Children with Obesity.

    PubMed

    Ford, Margaret C; Gordon, Nancy P; Howell, Amanda; Green, Cheryl E; Greenspan, Louise C; Chandra, Malini; Mellor, R Grant; Lo, Joan C

    2016-01-01

    Identification of modifiable behaviors is important for pediatric weight management and obesity prevention programs. This study examined obesogenic behaviors in children with obesity in a Northern California obesity intervention program using data from a parent/teen-completed intake questionnaire covering dietary and lifestyle behaviors (frequency of breakfast, family meals, unhealthy snacking and beverages, fruit/vegetable intake, sleep, screen time, and exercise). Among 7956 children with BMI ≥ 95th percentile, 45.5% were females and 14.2% were 3-5, 44.2% were 6-11, and 41.6% were 12-17 years old. One-quarter (24.9%) were non-Hispanic white, 11.3% were black, 43.5% were Hispanic, and 12.0% were Asian/Pacific Islander. Severe obesity was prevalent (37.4%), especially among blacks, Hispanics, and older children, and was associated with less frequent breakfast and exercise and excess screen time, and in young children it was associated with consumption of sweetened beverages or juice. Unhealthy dietary behaviors, screen time, limited exercise, and sleep were more prevalent in older children and in selected black, Hispanic, and Asian subgroups, where consumption of sweetened beverages or juice was especially high. Overall, obesity severity and obesogenic behaviors increased with age and varied by gender and race/ethnicity. We identified several key prevalent modifiable behaviors that can be targeted by healthcare professionals to reduce obesity when counseling children with obesity and their parents.

  16. Obesity in British children with and without intellectual disability: cohort study.

    PubMed

    Emerson, Eric; Robertson, Janet; Baines, Susannah; Hatton, Chris

    2016-07-27

    Reducing the prevalence of and inequities in the distribution of child obesity will require developing interventions that are sensitive to the situation of 'high risk' groups of children. Children with intellectual disability appear to be one such group. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of obesity in children with and without intellectual disability in a longitudinal representative sample of British children and identify risk factors associated with obesity at age 11. Information was collected on a nationally representative sample of over 18,000 at ages 9 months, 3, 5, 7 and 11 years. We used UK 1990 gender-specific growth reference charts and the LMS Growth programme to identify age and gender-specific overweight and obesity BMI thresholds for each child at ages 5, 7 and 11 years. Children with intellectual disabilities were significantly more likely than other children to be obese at ages five (OR = 1.32[1.03-1.68]), seven (OR = 1.39[1.05-1.83]) and eleven (OR = 1.68[1.39-2.03]). At ages five and seven increased risk of obesity among children with intellectual disabilities was only apparent among boys. Among children with intellectual disability risk of obesity at age eleven was associated with persistent maternal obesity, maternal education, child ethnicity and being bullied at age five. Children with intellectual disability are a high-risk group for the development of obesity, accounting for 5-6 % of all obese children. Interventions to reduce the prevalence and inequities in the distribution of child obesity will need to take account of the specific situation of this group of children.

  17. SNAP Participation in Preschool-Aged Children and Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Simmons, Shannon; Alexander, Jeffrey L.; Ewing, Helen; Whetzel, Stephanie

    2012-01-01

    Background: An increased prevalence of overweight and obesity for adults on government-funded nutrition assistance, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), has been observed; however, this association among preschool-aged children is not well understood. Longitudinal research designs tracking changes in body mass…

  18. Nutritional status and risk factors of overweight and obesity for children aged 9-15 years in Chengdu, Southwest China.

    PubMed

    Li, Ping; Yang, Fan; Xiong, Fei; Huo, Tingzhu; Tong, Yu; Yang, Sufei; Mao, Meng

    2012-08-10

    Obesity is widespread in the world including developing countries. However malnutrition in poor areas is still a serious problem. Few investigations, especially in a large sample, have been performed in Western area of China. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional status of school children aged 9-15 years in large Southwest city of China, and identify the differential impact of aberrant birth categories and family history of obesity related disease on childhood overweight and obesity development. A multistage random cluster sampling was performed to evaluate the prevalence of thinness, overweight and obesity, which were defined by the new age-, sex-, specific BMI reference developed by World Health Organization (WHO) (2007). And then a frequency matched case-control study was performed to identify the risk factors of overweight and obesity. 7,194 children (3,494 boys, 3,700 girls) were recruited, and 1,282 (17.8%) had excess bodyweight (14.5% overweight, 3.3% obesity). The combined prevalence gradually decreased with age, and were more prevalent among boys than girls (P <0.05). Meanwhile 6.3% were found thinness and there were little differences in genders (P >0.05). Preterm large for gestational age (OR = 2.746), maternal history of obesity related disease (OR = 1.713), paternal history of obesity related disease (OR = 1.583), preterm appropriate for gestational age (OR = 1.564), full term small for gestational age (OR = 1.454) and full term large for gestational age (OR = 1.418) were recognized as significant risk factors in the multivariate regression analysis (P <0.05). While overweight and obesity was dramatically spreading, malnutrition still remained a serious problem. This unmatched nutritional status should be emphasized in backward cities of China. Children born of both preterm and LGA, whose parents particularly mothers had a history of obesity related disease, should be emphatically intervened as early as possible.

  19. Immigrant enclaves and obesity in preschool-aged children in Los Angeles County.

    PubMed

    Nobari, Tabashir Z; Wang, May-Choo; Chaparro, M Pia; Crespi, Catherine M; Koleilat, Maria; Whaley, Shannon E

    2013-09-01

    While neighborhood environments are increasingly recognized as important contributors to obesity risk, less has been reported on the socio-cultural aspects of neighborhoods that influence obesity development. This is especially true among immigrants, who may lack the necessary language skills to navigate their new living environments. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that young children of immigrants would be at lower obesity risk if they lived in neighborhoods where neighbors share the same language and culture. Using 2000 Census data and 2003-2009 data from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children in Los Angeles County, we examined the relation between BMI z-scores in low-income children aged 2-5 years (N = 250,029) and the concentration of neighborhood residents who spoke the same language as the children's mothers. Using multi-level modeling and adjusting for child's gender and race/ethnicity, household education, neighborhood socioeconomic status, and year the child was examined, we found that percent of neighborhood residents who spoke the same language as the child's mother was negatively associated with BMI z-scores. This relation varied by child's race/ethnicity and mother's preferred language. The relation was linear and negative among children of English-speaking Hispanic mothers and Chinese-speaking mothers. However, for Hispanic children of Spanish-speaking mothers the relation was curvilinear, initially exhibiting a positive relation which reversed at higher neighborhood concentrations of Spanish-speaking residents. Our findings suggest that living in neighborhoods where residents share the same language may influence obesity-related behaviors (namely diet and physical activity) possibly through mechanisms involving social networks, support, and norms. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Socio-economic status and overweight or obesity among school-age children in sub-Saharan Africa - a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Fruhstorfer, B H; Mousoulis, C; Uthman, O A; Robertson, W

    2016-02-01

    Childhood overweight and obesity have emerged as a public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa. We conducted a systematic review with the aim to examine the association between socio-economic status (SES) and overweight or obesity among school-age children in sub-Saharan Africa. In March 2014 we searched five electronic databases for reports which presented cross-sectional data on prevalence levels of overweight or obesity stratified by SES groups among school-age children in sub-Saharan Africa. We used a random-effect model to pool the relative indexes of inequality of the association from the individual studies. In total, 20 reports satisfied the inclusion criteria providing results of 21 datasets. The risk of overweight or obesity in children from highest SES households was 5.28 times as high as that of children from lowest SES households (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.62 to 10.66). On subgroup analysis, this association was statistically significant for household income and composite SES measures but not for parental educational attainment and occupation type. Similarly, the risk of overweight or obesity in children attending affluent (private) schools was 15.94 times as high as that of children going to either urban or rural public schools (95% CI 5.82 to 43.68). The magnitude of the association tended to be stronger for area or school-type compared with composite measures. In summary, children from higher SES households and those attending private schools tended to be overweight and obese. © 2016 World Obesity.

  1. Parenting style and obesity risk in children.

    PubMed

    Kakinami, Lisa; Barnett, Tracie A; Séguin, Louise; Paradis, Gilles

    2015-06-01

    Parents play a critical role in their children's lifestyle habits. The objective was to assess the effect of parenting style on the risk of childhood obesity, and to determine whether poverty was a moderator of the association. Participants were from the 1994-2008 cross-sectional samples of the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY), a nationally representative survey of Canadian youth. Factor and cluster analyses identified four parenting styles consistent with Baumrind's parenting style prototypes. Multivariable logistic regression assessed the risk of obesity based on parenting style after adjusting for covariates. Analyses were stratified by age (preschool: 2-5years of age, n=19,026; school-age: 6-11years of age, n=18,551) and the moderating effect of poverty (household incomeage children with authoritarian parents were 35% (95% CI: 1.2-1.5) and 41% (CI: 1.1-1.8) more likely to be obese, respectively. In preschool children, poverty moderated this association: authoritarian and negligent parenting was associated with 44% (CI: 1.3-1.7) and 26% (CI: 1.1-1.4) increased likelihood of obesity, respectively, but only among the children not living in poverty. In school-age children, poverty was not a moderator. Parenting style is associated with childhood obesity, but may be moderated by poverty. Successful strategies to combat childhood obesity should reflect the independent and interactive associations of sociodemographic and social-familial influences on health especially in early childhood. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Sleep Duration and Overweight/Obesity in Preschool-Aged Children: A Prospective Study of up to 48,922 Children of the Jiaxing Birth Cohort.

    PubMed

    Wang, Fenglei; Liu, Huijuan; Wan, Yi; Li, Jing; Chen, Yu; Zheng, Jusheng; Huang, Tao; Li, Duo

    2016-11-01

    To examine the association between sleep duration and overweight/obesity in preschool-aged children. A total of 48,922 3-year old children enrolled in the Jiaxing Birth Cohort, who provided sleep information and anthropometric data, were included in the present study as baseline and were followed up to 5 years of age. Sleep duration was categorized as ≤ 10 hours, 11-12 hours, and ≥ 13 hours. Overweight and obesity were defined according to the cut point criteria in China. Prevalence ratios and risk ratios were used to assess the association between sleep duration and risk of overweight/obesity. In cross-sectional analyses at baseline, the adjusted prevalence ratios (95% confidence interval) of overweight (with 11-12 h of sleep being considered the reference group) for children sleeping ≤ 10 h and ≥ 13 h were 1.13 (1.06-1.20) and 1.16 (1.09-1.24), respectively, whereas the adjusted prevalence ratios (95% confidence interval) of obesity were 1.25 (1.11-1.40) and 1.25 (1.11-1.42). In longitudinal analyses, the adjusted risk ratios (95% confidence interval) of overweight for children sleeping ≤ 10 h and ≥ 13 h were 1.48 (1.26-1.74) and 1.13 (0.96-1.34), while adjusted risk ratios (95% confidence interval) of obesity were 1.77 (1.30-2.40) and 1.19 (0.85-1.66). Restricted cubic splines regression supported U-shaped curvilinear associations between sleep duration and overweight/obesity in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Both short and overlong sleep duration are associated with a higher risk of overweight/obesity in preschool-aged children. Optimizing sleep duration may be an important modifiable intervention for overweight and obesity. © 2016 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

  3. Obese parents--obese children? Psychological-psychiatric risk factors of parental behavior and experience for the development of obesity in children aged 0-3: study protocol.

    PubMed

    Grube, Matthias; Bergmann, Sarah; Keitel, Anja; Herfurth-Majstorovic, Katharina; Wendt, Verena; von Klitzing, Kai; Klein, Annette M

    2013-12-17

    The incidences of childhood overweight and obesity have increased substantially and with them the prevalence of associated somatic and psychiatric health problems. Therefore, it is important to identify modifiable risk factors for early childhood overweight in order to develop effective prevention or intervention programs. Besides biological factors, familial interactions and parental behavioral patterns may influence children's weight development. Longitudinal investigation of children at overweight risk could help to detect significant risk and protective factors. We aim to describe infants' weight development over time and identify risk and protective factors for the incidence of childhood obesity. Based on our findings we will draw up a risk model that will lay the foundation for an intervention/prevention program. We present the protocol of a prospective longitudinal study in which we investigate families with children aged from 6 months to 47 months. In half of the families at least one parent is obese (risk group), in the other half both parents are normal weight (control group). Based on developmental and health-psychological models, we consider measurements at three levels: the child, the parents and parent-child-relationship. Three assessment points are approximately one year apart. At each assessment point we evaluate the psychological, social, and behavioral situation of the parents as well as the physical and psychosocial development of the child. Parents are interviewed, fill in questionnaires, and take part in standardized interaction tasks with their child in a feeding and in a playing context in our research laboratory. The quality of these video-taped parent-child interactions is assessed by analyzing them with standardized, validated instruments according to scientific standards. Strengths of the presented study are the prospective longitudinal design, the multi-informant approach, including the fathers, and the observation of parent

  4. Identifying the metabolic syndrome in obese children and adolescents: do age and definition matter?

    PubMed

    van Vliet, Mariska; von Rosenstiel, Inès A; Schindhelm, Roger K; Brandjes, Dees P M; Beijnen, Jos H; Diamant, Michaela

    2009-09-01

    To assess the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in overweight/obese children and adolescents of an out-patient clinic, and to compare two definitions of MetS in adolescents. In total, 528 overweight / obese children (3-16 years), of multi-ethnic origin, underwent an oral glucose tolerance test, blood collections and anthropometric measurements. In children <10 years, MetS was assessed according to child-specific cut-off values (MetS-child). In adolescents, MetS-child and MetS-adolescent (the recommendation of the International Diabetes Federation for adolescents) were compared. The prevalence of MetS-child within the cohort (median age 11.3, range 3.1-16.4 yrs) was 18.6% (children <10 years vs. adolescents: 14.1% vs. 20.7%, P=0.073). Insulin resistance was present in 47.7% (children <10 years vs. adolescents: 21.8% vs. 60.1%, P<0.001). MetS-child was highly prevalent, and not statistically significant between age groups. In adolescents, the prevalence of MetS-adolescent was higher than MetS-child (33.2% vs. 20.7%, P<0.001). The agreement between the MetS definitions was moderate (kappa =0.51), with the agreement for the MetS-criteria for abnormal lipid levels being substantial to very good (kappa =0.71 to 0.80). MetS-child was highly prevalent in overweight/obese children and adolescents. A higher prevalence of MetS according to adolescent- as compared to child-specific criteria was found.

  5. Expert Exchange Workgroup on Children Aged 5 and Younger with Severe Obesity: A Narrative Review of Medical and Genetic Risk Factors.

    PubMed

    Mirza, Nazrat; Phan, Thao-Ly; Tester, June; Fals, Angela; Fernandez, Cristina; Datto, George; Estrada, Elizabeth; Eneli, Ihuoma

    2018-05-23

    Severe obesity defined as an age- and gender-specific body mass index ≥120% of the 95th percentile in children younger than 5 years is well recognized as a significant challenge for prevention and treatment. This article provides an overview of the prevalence, classification of obesity severity, patterns of weight gain trajectory, medical and genetic risk factors, and comorbid disorders among young children with an emphasis on severe obesity. Studies suggest rapid weight gain trajectory in infancy, maternal smoking, maternal gestational diabetes, and genetic conditions are associated with an increased risk for severe obesity in early childhood. Among populations of young children with severe obesity seeking care, co-morbid conditions such as dyslipidemia and fatty liver disease are present and families report behavioral concerns and developmental delays. Children with severe obesity by age 5 represent a vulnerable population of children at high medical risk and need to be identified early and appropriately managed.

  6. Composition of gut microbiota in obese and normal-weight Mexican school-age children and its association with metabolic traits.

    PubMed

    López-Contreras, B E; Morán-Ramos, S; Villarruel-Vázquez, R; Macías-Kauffer, L; Villamil-Ramírez, H; León-Mimila, P; Vega-Badillo, J; Sánchez-Muñoz, F; Llanos-Moreno, L E; Canizalez-Román, A; Del Río-Navarro, B; Ibarra-González, I; Vela-Amieva, M; Villarreal-Molina, T; Ochoa-Leyva, A; Aguilar-Salinas, C A; Canizales-Quinteros, S

    2018-06-01

    Childhood obesity is a serious public health problem in Mexico. Adult gut microbiota composition has been linked to obesity, but few studies have addressed the role of gut microbiota in childhood obesity. The aim of this study is to compare gut microbiota composition in obese and normal-weight children and to associate gut microbiota profiles with amino acid serum levels and obesity-related metabolic traits. Microbial taxa relative abundance was determined by 16S rRNA sequencing in 67 normal-weight and 71 obese children aged 6-12 years. Serum amino acid levels were measured by mass spectrometry. Associations between microbiota composition, metabolic parameters and amino acid serum levels were tested. No significant differences in phyla abundances or Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratios were observed between normal-weight and obese children. However, Bacteroides eggerthii abundance was significantly higher in obese children and correlated positively with body fat percentage and negatively with insoluble fibre intake. Additionally, Bacteroides plebeius and unclassified Christensenellaceae abundances were significantly higher in normal-weight children. Abundance of both these species correlated negatively with phenylalanine serum levels, a metabolite also found to be associated with obesity in Mexican children. The study identified bacterial species associated with obesity, metabolic complications and amino acid serum levels in Mexican children. © 2017 World Obesity Federation.

  7. Predictors of Severe Obesity in Low-Income, Predominantly Hispanic/Latino Children: The Texas Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration Study

    PubMed Central

    Pérez, Adriana; Ranjit, Nalini; Kelder, Steven H.; Barlow, Sarah E.; Pont, Stephen J.; Butte, Nancy F.; Hoelscher, Deanna M.

    2017-01-01

    Introduction The objective of this study was to identify predictors of severe obesity in a low-income, predominantly Hispanic/Latino sample of children in Texas. Methods This cross-sectional analysis examined baseline data on 517 children from the secondary prevention component of the Texas Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration (TX CORD) study; data were collected from September 2012 through February 2014. Self-administered surveys were used to collect data from parents of children who were aged 2 to 12 years, had a body mass index (BMI) in the 85th percentile or higher, and resided in Austin, Texas, or Houston, Texas. Multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for sociodemographic covariates were used to examine associations of children’s early-life and maternal factors (large-for-gestational-age, exclusive breastfeeding for ≥4 months, maternal severe obesity [BMI ≥35.0 kg/m2]) and children’s behavioral factors (fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, screen time) with severe obesity (BMI ≥120% of 95th percentile), by age group (2–5 y, 6–8 y, and 9–12 y). Results Across all ages, 184 (35.6%) children had severe obesity. Among children aged 9 to 12 years, large-for-gestational-age at birth (odds ratio [OR] = 2.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13–4.73) was significantly associated with severe obesity. Maternal severe obesity was significantly associated with severe obesity among children aged 2 to 5 years (OR = 2.67; 95% CI, 1.10–6.47) and 9 to 12 years (OR = 4.12; 95% CI, 1.84–9.23). No significant association was observed between behavioral factors and severe obesity in any age group. Conclusion In this low-income, predominantly Hispanic/Latino sample of children, large-for-gestational-age and maternal severe obesity were risk factors for severe obesity among children in certain age groups. Promoting healthy lifestyle practices during preconception and prenatal periods could be an important intervention strategy for

  8. [Biliary dysfunction in obese children].

    PubMed

    Aleshina, E I; Gubonina, I V; Novikova, V P; Vigurskaia, M Iu

    2014-01-01

    To examine the state of the biliary system, a study of properties of bile "case-control") 100 children and adolescents aged 8 to 18 years, held checkup in consultative and diagnostic center for chronic gastroduodenitis. BMI children were divided into 2 groups: group 1-60 children with obesity (BMI of 30 to 40) and group 2-40 children with normal anthropometric indices. Survey methods included clinical examination pediatrician, endocrinologist, biochemical parameters (ALT, AST, alkaline phosphatase level, total protein, bilirubin, lipidogram, glucose, insulin, HOMA-index), ultrasound of the abdomen and retroperitoneum, EGD with aspiration of gallbladder bile. Crystallography bile produced by crystallization of biological substrates micromethods modification Prima AV, 1992. Obese children with chronic gastroduodenita more likely than children of normal weight, had complaints and objective laboratory and instrumental evidence of insulin resistance and motor disorders of the upper gastrointestinal and biliary tract, liver enlargement and biliary "sludge". Biochemical parameters of obese children indicate initial metabolic changes in carbohydrate and fat metabolism and cholestasis, as compared to control children. Colloidal properties of bile in obese children with chronic gastroduodenita reduced, as indicated by the nature of the crystallographic pattern. Conclusions: Obese children with chronic gastroduodenitis often identified enlarged liver, cholestasis and biliary dysfunction, including with the presence of sludge in the gallbladder; most often--hypertonic bile dysfunction. Biochemical features of carbohydrate and fat metabolism reflect the features of the metabolic profile of obese children. Crystallography bile in obese children reveals the instability of the colloidal structure of bile, predisposing children to biliary sludge, which is a risk factor for gallstones.

  9. Association between level of urinary trace heavy metals and obesity among children aged 6-19 years: NHANES 1999-2011.

    PubMed

    Shao, Wentao; Liu, Qian; He, Xiaowei; Liu, Hui; Gu, Aihua; Jiang, Zhaoyan

    2017-04-01

    Global prevalence of obesity has been increasing dramatically in all ages. Although traditional causes for obesity development have been studied widely, it is unclear whether environmental exposure of substances such as trace heavy metals affects obesity development among children and adolescents so far. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2011) were retrieved, and 6602 US children were analyzed in this study. Urinary level of nine trace heavy metals, including barium, cadmium, cobalt, cesium, molybdenum, lead, antimony, thallium, and tungsten, was analyzed for their association with the prevalence of obesity among children aged 6-19 years. Multiple logistic regression was performed to assess the associations adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, gender, urinary creatinine, PIR, serum cotinine, and television, video game, and computer usage. A remarkable association was found between barium exposure (OR 1.43; 95% CI 1.09-1.88; P < 0.001) and obesity in children aged 6-19 years. Negative association was observed between cadmium (OR 0.46; 95% CI 0.33-0.64; P < 0.001), cobalt (OR 0.56; 95% CI: 0.41-0.76; P < 0.001), and lead (OR 0.57; 95% CI 0.41-0.78; P = 0.018), and obesity. All the negative associations were stronger in the 6-12 years group than in the 13-19 years group. The present study demonstrated that barium might increase the occurrence of obesity, but cadmium, cobalt, and lead caused weight loss among children. The results imply that trace heavy metals may represent critical risk factors for the development of obesity, especially in the area that the state of metal contamination is serious.

  10. Impulse oscillometry and obesity in children.

    PubMed

    Assumpção, Maíra S de; Ribeiro, José D; Wamosy, Renata M G; Figueiredo, Fernanda C X S de; Parazzi, Paloma L F; Schivinski, Camila I S

    2017-09-08

    To compare impulse oscillometry system parameters of normal-weight children with overweight and obese children. All participants were submitted to the evaluation of lung function (spirometry and impulse oscillometry) following the American Thoracic Society standards. The evaluation of respiratory mechanics was performed using the Jaeger™ MasterScreen™ Impulse Oscillometry System (Erich Jaeger, Germany), three tests were recorded, with acquisition for at least 20s. The study included 81 children (30 in the control group, 21 in the overweight group, and 30 the in obesity group), matched for age and sex. Regarding spirometry data, obesity group showed higher numerical values in relation to the control group; however, there were no significant differences among the three groups. For impulse oscillometry parameters, there was a difference between control group and obesity group for respiratory impedance (p=0.036), resistance at 5hertz (p=0.026), resonant frequency (p=0.029), and reactance area (p=0.014). For the parameters expressed in percentage of predicted, there were differences in resistance at 5 hertz, resonant frequency, and reactance area between control group and obesity group. Obese children showed increased oscillometry parameters values representative of airway obstruction, compared to normal-weight children. Changes in some oscillometry parameters can already be observed in overweight school-aged children. Copyright © 2017 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  11. 20-year trends in prevalence of overweight and obesity among children aged 0-6 in Harbin, China: A multiple cross-sectional study

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Wei; Li, Hui; Li, Jia; Wang, Hai-Jun

    2018-01-01

    To examine the 20-year trends in the combined prevalence of overweight and obesity among children aged 0–6 years between 1995 and 2015 in Harbin, China, we selected altogether 49,553 children aged 0–6 years old by using a multistage stratified cluster sampling methods in Harbin, one provincial capital city in northeast China in 1995, 2005 and 2015. Height and weight information of the children were collected. We used the child growth standards of World Health Organization to calculate the Z-scores for body mass index (BMI). Cut-offs recommended by World Health Organization and International Obesity Task Force were used to define overweight and obesity for each children. We found there is no difference between boys’ BMI and girls’ among newborns in each survey point (p>0.05), but in older age groups, the BMI of boys was higher than that of girls (p<0.05). From 1995 to 2015, the average BMI was increasing continuously among boys older than 42 months and girls older than 48 months (p<0.01 for linear trend across year) in Harbin. The combined prevalence of overweight and obesity increased from 2.6% in 1995 to 7.6% in 2015. For every 10-year the risk of combined overweight and obesity in children aged 0–6 years increased by 167% (95%CI: 146%, 188%, p<0.01). The combined prevalence of overweight and obesity in most age subgroups showed an increasing trend over time (p<0.01 for trend test across survey year). The age when the combined prevalence of overweight and obesity dramatically increased was earlier in 2015 than that in 2005 and 1995. In conclusion, there was an increasing trend of the combined prevalence of overweight and obesity during the past 20 years in Harbin and the age when the prevalence dramatically increased became earlier. Comprehensive intervention should be undertaken among younger children to prevent and control children’s overweight and obesity. PMID:29864123

  12. Trends in state/territorial obesity prevalence by race/ethnicity among U.S. low-income, preschool-aged children.

    PubMed

    Pan, L; Grummer-Strawn, L M; McGuire, L C; Park, S; Blanck, H M

    2016-10-01

    Understanding state/territorial trends in obesity by race/ethnicity helps focus resources on populations at risk. This study aimed to examine trends in obesity prevalence among low-income, preschool-aged children from 2008 through 2011 in U.S. states and territories by race/ethnicity. We used measured weight and height records of 11.1 million children aged 2-4 years who participated in federally funded health and nutrition programmes in 40 states, the District of Columbia and two U.S. territories. We used logistic regression to examine obesity prevalence trends, controlling for age and sex. From 2008 through 2011, the aggregated obesity prevalence declined among all racial/ethnic groups (decreased by 0.4-0.9%) except American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs); the largest decrease was among Asians/Pacific Islanders (A/PIs). Declines were significant among non-Hispanic whites in 14 states, non-Hispanic blacks in seven states/territories, Hispanics in 13 states, A/PIs in five states and AI/ANs in one state. Increases were significant among non-Hispanic whites in four states, non-Hispanic blacks in three states, Hispanics in two states and A/PIs in one state. The majority of the states/territories had no change in obesity prevalence. Our findings indicate slight reductions in obesity prevalence and variations in obesity trends, but disparities exist for some states and racial/ethnic groups. © 2015 World Obesity.

  13. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in European children below the age of 10.

    PubMed

    Ahrens, W; Pigeot, I; Pohlabeln, H; De Henauw, S; Lissner, L; Molnár, D; Moreno, L A; Tornaritis, M; Veidebaum, T; Siani, A

    2014-09-01

    There is a lack of common surveillance systems providing comparable figures and temporal trends of the prevalence of overweight (OW), obesity and related risk factors among European preschool and school children. Comparability of available data is limited in terms of sampling design, methodological approaches and quality assurance. The IDEFICS (Identification and prevention of Dietary- and lifestyle-induced health Effects in Children and infantS) study provides one of the largest European data sets of young children based on state-of-the-art methodology. To assess the European distribution of weight status according to different classification systems based on body mass index (BMI) in children (2.0-9.9 years). To describe the prevalence of weight categories by region, sex, age and socioeconomic position. Between 2007 and 2010, 18,745 children from eight European countries participated in an extensive, highly standardised protocol including, among other measures, anthropometric examinations and parental reports on socio-demographic characteristics. The combined prevalence of OW/obesity ranges from more than 40% in southern Europe to less than 10% in northern Europe. Overall, the prevalence of OW was higher in girls (21.1%) as compared with boys (18.6%). The prevalence of OW shows a negative gradient with social position, with some variation of the strength and consistency of this association across Europe. Overall, population groups with low income and/or lower education levels show the highest prevalence of obesity. The use of different reference systems to classify OW results in substantial differences in prevalence estimates and can even reverse the reported difference between boys and girls. There is a higher prevalence of obesity in populations from southern Europe and in population groups with lower education and income levels. Our data confirm the need to develop and reinforce European public health policies to prevent early obesity and to reduce these health

  14. Risk factors for obesity in children and adults.

    PubMed

    Siddarth, Divya

    2013-08-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine whether modifiable lifestyle factors such as eating habits, physical activity, and screen-viewing time, as well as ethnicity, sex, and family income level, were associated with obesity in children and adults and whether the associations differed across age groups. The data were drawn from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2010. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used, with obesity (defined as a body mass index of >30 kg/m for adults and ≥95th percentile for children of the same age and sex) as the outcome variable. For children, screen-viewing (TV/computer) time was the only significant factor; in contrast, for adolescents, eating habits were the only significant predictor. For young and middle-aged adults, lack of physical exercise and time spent in sedentary activities were the determinants of obesity, whereas for older adults, both eating habits and physical activity measures were related to obesity. Distinct lifestyle factors have significant associations with obesity in different age groups, and this study underscores the need for age-specific intervention programs to address the obesity epidemic.

  15. Obesity in Children: Definition, Etiology and Approach.

    PubMed

    Aggarwal, Bhawana; Jain, Vandana

    2018-06-01

    Childhood obesity is an important public health issue worldwide. Urbanization, sedentary lifestyle and change in food habits are the chief reasons behind this pandemic. In a small proportion of children, obesity is the result of endocrine, syndromic or monogenic causes. The present paper summarizes the methods, definitions and cut-offs for identification of obesity in children. We have briefly reviewed the various techniques used for estimation of body fat in children and the cut-offs for defining obesity based on body fat percentage, and the reference curves based on body mass index and waist circumference. The etiology of obesity in children, including individual behaviors, macro- and micro-environmental influences, and endocrine causes have been discussed, and an approach to etiological assessment of obese children has been presented. Special emphasis has been laid on clinical pointers that suggest the presence of syndromic, endocrine or monogenic forms of obesity, such as, short stature, dysmorphism, neurocognitive impairment and early age at onset.

  16. Joint association of birth weight and physical activity/sedentary behavior with obesity in children ages 9-11 years from 12 countries.

    PubMed

    Qiao, Yijuan; Zhang, Tao; Liu, Hongyan; Katzmarzyk, Peter T; Chaput, Jean-Philippe; Fogelholm, Mikael; Johnson, William D; Kuriyan, Rebecca; Kurpad, Anura; Lambert, Estelle V; Maher, Carol; Maia, José A R; Matsudo, Victor; Olds, Timothy; Onywera, Vincent; Sarmiento, Olga L; Standage, Martyn; Tremblay, Mark S; Tudor-Locke, Catrine; Zhao, Pei; Hu, Gang

    2017-06-01

    To examine the joint association of birth weight and physical activity/sedentary time with childhood obesity in 12 countries. A cross-sectional study of 5,088 children aged 9 to 11 years was conducted. Birth weight was recalled by parents or guardians. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behavior were objectively measured using accelerometry. The association of birth weight with the odds of obesity, central obesity, and high body fat was significant among children with either low MVPA or high sedentary time but not among children with either high MVPA or low sedentary time. In comparison with children with normal birth weight and high MVPA, children with high birth weight and low MVPA showed 4.48- to 5.18-fold higher odds of obesity, central obesity, and high body fat; children with normal birth weight and low MVPA showed 3.00- to 3.30-fold higher odds of obesity, central obesity, and high body fat, and children with high birth weight and high MVPA showed 1.16- to 1.68-fold higher odds of obesity, central obesity, and high body fat. High MVPA is more important than high birth weight as a correlate of obesity in children. © 2017 The Obesity Society.

  17. Defining overweight and obesity in children

    MedlinePlus

    ... than 85% (85 out of 100) of other children their age and sex, they are considered at risk of being overweight. ... than 95% (95 out of 100) of other children their age and sex, they are considered overweight or obese.

  18. Mobile-based intervention intended to stop obesity in preschool-aged children: the MINISTOP randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Nyström, Christine Delisle; Sandin, Sven; Henriksson, Pontus; Henriksson, Hanna; Trolle-Lagerros, Ylva; Larsson, Christel; Maddison, Ralph; Ortega, Francisco B; Pomeroy, Jeremy; Ruiz, Jonatan R; Silfvernagel, Kristin; Timpka, Toomas; Löf, Marie

    2017-06-01

    Background: Traditional obesity prevention programs are time- and cost-intensive. Mobile phone technology has been successful in changing behaviors and managing weight; however, to our knowledge, its potential in young children has yet to be examined. Objective: We assessed the effectiveness of a mobile health (mHealth) obesity prevention program on body fat, dietary habits, and physical activity in healthy Swedish children aged 4.5 y. Design: From 2014 to 2015, 315 children were randomly assigned to an intervention or control group. Parents in the intervention group received a 6-mo mHealth program. The primary outcome was fat mass index (FMI), whereas the secondary outcomes were intakes of fruits, vegetables, candy, and sweetened beverages and time spent sedentary and in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Composite scores for the primary and secondary outcomes were computed. Results: No statistically significant intervention effect was observed for FMI between the intervention and control group (mean ± SD: -0.23 ± 0.56 compared with -0.20 ± 0.49 kg/m 2 ). However, the intervention group increased their mean composite score from baseline to follow-up, whereas the control group did not (+0.36 ± 1.47 compared with -0.06 ± 1.33 units; P = 0.021). This improvement was more pronounced among the children with an FMI above the median (4.11 kg/m 2 ) ( P = 0.019). The odds of increasing the composite score for the 6 dietary and physical activity behaviors were 99% higher for the intervention group than the control group ( P = 0.008). Conclusions: This mHealth obesity prevention study in preschool-aged children found no difference between the intervention and control group for FMI. However, the intervention group showed a considerably higher postintervention composite score (a secondary outcome) than the control group, especially in children with a higher FMI. Further studies targeting specific obesity classes within preschool-aged children are warranted. This

  19. Prevalance of Obesity in Children with Cerebral Palsy

    PubMed Central

    Bansal, Ankita; Diwan, Jasmin; Vyas, Neeta

    2014-01-01

    Introduction: Obesity are epidemic among children and adolescents. There is worldwide tendency of increasing prevalence of obesity in children. Cerebral palsy (CP) is leading cause of childhood disability.studies have proposed mechanism of children with disability leading towards obesity and related health risks. So this study is aimed at determining whether such trend of obesity exists in children with CP in terms of BMI and WHR. Study Design: Cross -sectional study. Materials and Methods: Participants: 40 children diagnosed as CP age 2-18 years, GMFCS I-IV. Procedure: BMI; kg/m2 was calculated from height and weight. WHR was calculated by measuring waist circumference and hip circumference. BMI percentiles were reported according to sex-specific age group standards for growth set by the WHO growth charts. Results: Out of total CP subjects 40% were found to be underweight, 45%, 7.5% and 7.5% were found to be normal, overweight and obese respectively according to BMI. Whereas 20%, 20% 60% were found to be at high risk, moderate risk and high risk of obesity respectively according to WHR. Conclusion: In our patient population, analysis of BMI and WHR suggests that children with CP have a high rate of overweight and are at risk of overweight, particularly of central obesity. PMID:25302187

  20. Obesity and Developmental Functioning among Children Aged 2-4 Years. National Poverty Center Working Paper Series #08-07

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cawley, John; Spiess, C. Katharina

    2008-01-01

    In developed countries, obesity tends to be associated with worse labor market outcomes. One possible reason is that obesity leads to less human capital formation early in life. This paper investigates the association between obesity and the developmental functioning of children at younger ages (2-4 years) than ever previously examined. Data from…

  1. Upper and lower limb functionality: are these compromised in obese children?

    PubMed

    Riddiford-Harland, Diane L; Steele, Julie R; Baur, Louise A

    2006-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of obesity on upper and lower limb functional strength and power in children, and to determine whether the ability to perform the daily activity of rising from a chair was compromised in obese children. It was hypothesised that obese children would display less upper and lower limb functionality compared to their non-obese counterparts. Upper and lower limb strength and power of 43 obese children (aged 8.4 +/- 0.5 y, BMI 24.1 +/- 2.3 kg/m(-2)) and 43 non-obese controls (aged 8.4 +/- 0.5 y, BMI 16.9 +/- 0.4 kg/m(-2)) were assessed using age-appropriate field-based tests: arm push/pull ability; basketball throw; vertical jump (VJ), and standing long jump (SLJ) performance. Functional lower limb strength was assessed for 13 obese and 13 non-obese children by quantifying their chair rising ability. Although obese children displayed significantly greater upper limb push (9.3 +/- 2.3 kg) and pull strength (9.6 +/- 3.0 kg) than their non-obese peers (push: 8.8 +/- 2.2 kg; pull: 8.8 +/- 2.3 kg; p < or = 0.05), their VJ (22.1 +/- 4.3 cm) and SLJ (94.6 +/- 12.8 cm) performance was significantly impaired relative to the non-obese children (VJ: 24.7 +/- 4.0 cm; SLJ: 101.7 +/- 14.0 cm; p < or = 0.05). Obese children spent significantly more time during all transfer phases of the chair rising task, compared to the non-obese children. Lower limb functionality in young obese children is impeded when they move their greater body mass against gravity.

  2. Joint association of birth weight and physical/sedentary activity with obesity at children ages 9–11 years in 12 countries

    PubMed Central

    Qiao, Yijuan; Zhang, Tao; Liu, Hongyan; Katzmarzyk, Peter T.; Chaput, Jean-Philippe; Fogelholm, Mikael; Johnson, William D.; Kuriyan, Rebecca; Kurpad, Anura; Lambert, Estelle V.; Maher, Carol; Maia, José A.R.; Matsudo, Victor; Olds, Timothy; Onywera, Vincent; Sarmiento, Olga L.; Standage, Martyn; Tremblay, Mark S.; Tudor-Locke, Catrine; Zhao, Pei; Hu, Gang

    2017-01-01

    Objective To examine the joint association of birth weight and physical/sedentary activity time with obesity in 12 countries. Methods A cross-sectional study of 5,088 children aged 9–11 years was conducted. Birth weight was recalled by parents or guardians. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behavior were objectively measured using accelerometry. Results The association of birth weight with the odds of obesity, central obesity and high body fat was significant among children with either low MVPA or high sedentary time but not among children with either high MVPA or low sedentary time. In comparison with children with normal birth weight and high MVPA, children with high birth weight and low MVPA showed 4.48–5.18 fold higher odds of obesity, central obesity, and high body fat; children with normal birth weight and low MVPA showed 3.00–3.30 fold higher odds of obesity, central obesity, and high body fat, and children with high birth weight and high MVPA showed 1.16–1.68 fold higher odds of obesity, central obesity, and high body fat. Conclusions High MVPA is more important than high birth weight as a correlate of obesity in children. PMID:28544795

  3. Overweight and Obesity Prevalence Among School-Aged Nunavik Inuit Children According to Three Body Mass Index Classification Systems.

    PubMed

    Medehouenou, Thierry Comlan Marc; Ayotte, Pierre; St-Jean, Audray; Meziou, Salma; Roy, Cynthia; Muckle, Gina; Lucas, Michel

    2015-07-01

    Little is known about the suitability of three commonly used body mass index (BMI) classification system for Indigenous children. This study aims to estimate overweight and obesity prevalence among school-aged Nunavik Inuit children according to International Obesity Task Force (IOTF), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and World Health Organization (WHO) BMI classification systems, to measure agreement between those classification systems, and to investigate whether BMI status as defined by these classification systems is associated with levels of metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers. Data were collected on 290 school-aged children (aged 8-14 years; 50.7% girls) from the Nunavik Child Development Study with data collected in 2005-2010. Anthropometric parameters were measured and blood sampled. Participants were classified as normal weight, overweight, and obese according to BMI classification systems. Weighted kappa (κw) statistics assessed agreement between different BMI classification systems, and multivariate analysis of variance ascertained their relationship with metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers. The combined prevalence rate of overweight/obesity was 26.9% (with 6.6% obesity) with IOTF, 24.1% (11.0%) with CDC, and 40.4% (12.8%) with WHO classification systems. Agreement was the highest between IOTF and CDC (κw = .87) classifications, and substantial for IOTF and WHO (κw = .69) and for CDC and WHO (κw = .73). Insulin and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein plasma levels were significantly higher from normal weight to obesity, regardless of classification system. Among obese subjects, higher insulin level was observed with IOTF. Compared with other systems, IOTF classification appears to be more specific to identify overweight and obesity in Inuit children. Copyright © 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Retrospective Study of Obesity in Children with Down Syndrome.

    PubMed

    Basil, Janet S; Santoro, Stephanie L; Martin, Lisa J; Healy, Katherine Wusik; Chini, Barbara A; Saal, Howard M

    2016-06-01

    To assess whether children with Down syndrome in the US are at an increased risk for obesity, we determined the obesity prevalence and analyzed obesity development throughout childhood in a cohort of children with Down syndrome. In addition, we analyzed a comorbidity that is associated with Down syndrome and obesity, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). This study was a retrospective chart review that evaluated 303 children ages 2 through 18 years with a diagnosis of Down syndrome. All children were patients at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center with multiple height and weight measurements. To determine obesity burden, the rate of obesity was compared with a local control cohort using contingency tables. Change in obesity rate through time was determined with mixed models. Association of obesity with OSAS was determined with contingency tables. We evaluated 303 individuals, 47.8% of whom were obese (body mass index ≥95th percentile for age and sex). This was significantly higher than the general pediatric population, which had a 12.1% obesity rate (P < .0001). Body mass index z-scores did not change markedly over time (P = .40). The majority of children with Down syndrome also had OSAS (74.0% of the 177 children who had polysomnography studies). However, OSAS risk was elevated in obese children (risk ratio = 2.4, P = .0015). Our results indicate that children with Down syndrome are at a substantial risk for obesity and OSAS. These findings support the need for more aggressive weight management in early childhood and throughout the lifespan. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Relationship between Sugar Intake and Obesity among School-Age Children in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Lin, Pei-Ying; Lin, Fang-Yu; Chen, Ting-Chun; Chen, Wen-Lee; Doong, Jia-Yau; Shikanai, Saiko; Sarukura, Nobuko; Yamamoto, Shigeru

    2016-01-01

    In recent years, the prevalence and problem of overweight and obesity in Taiwanese children have increased. There are many reports that the excessive intake of sugar increases the risk of lifestyle-related disease. However, sugar intake in Taiwanese children is not known. In this study, we investigated sugar intake from sugar-sweetened beverages, snacks and desserts among school-age children in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. We also tried to determine the relationship between sugar intake and body mass index (BMI). We contacted all the public elementary schools (10 schools) in a district, Kaohsiung, and obtained permission from 3 schools. The survey subjects were 410 (210 boys, 200 girls) school-age children (7, 10 and 12 y old). A nutrition survey was conducted using 3 non-consecutive days of the 24 h dietary recall method for sugar-sweetened beverages, snacks and desserts. Height and weight were measured. Sugar intakes were not significantly different among the different genders or ages (p>0.05) and average intake of all was 51.6 g/d. Percentages of each sugar in total intake were sucrose 60%, glucose 18%, fructose 16%, and lactose 6%. The intake of glucose and fructose may have come from isomerized sugar. Contributions of sugar-sweetened beverages and snacks (desserts) were 83.5% and 16.5%, respectively. Among the sugar-sweetened beverages the top 3 sources were tea (22%), milk tea (19%) and milk beverages (18%). A relationship between sugar intake and BMI was not observed. In conclusion, sugar intake of the children was higher than the WHO recommendation due to the high intake from beverages; however, sugar was not the cause of the high obesity rate.

  6. Obesity and Overweight in American Indian and Alaska Native Children, 2006-2015.

    PubMed

    Bullock, Ann; Sheff, Karen; Moore, Kelly; Manson, Spero

    2017-09-01

    To estimate obesity and overweight prevalence in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children across genders, ages, and geographic regions in the Indian Health Service active clinical population. We obtained data from the Indian Health Service National Data Warehouse. At least 184 000 AI/AN children aged 2 to 19 years had body mass index data for each year studied, 2006 to 2015. We calculated body mass index percentiles with the 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts. In 2015, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in AI/AN children aged 2 to 19 years was 18.5% and 29.7%, respectively. Boys had higher obesity prevalence than girls (31.5% vs 27.9%). Children aged 12 to 19 years had a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity than younger children. The AI/AN children in our study had a higher prevalence of obesity than US children overall in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Results for 2006 through 2014 were similar. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among AI/AN children in this population may have stabilized, while remaining higher than prevalence for US children overall.

  7. The effect of age, sex and obesity on fundamental motor skills among 4 to 6 years-old children.

    PubMed

    Vameghi, Roshanak; Shams, Amir; Shamsipour Dehkordi, Parvane

    2013-04-01

    To examine the effect of age, sex and obesity on Fundamental Motor Skills (FMS) in 4 to 6 years-old children. A total of 400 preschool children (200 boys and 200 girls) between the ages of 4 to 6 years old participated in this research. Subjects were selected through multi-stage cluster random sampling. Fundamental motor skills (FMS) were assessed with using the OSU-SIGMA scale. Body mass index (BMI) was directly measured from height(m)(2)/weight(kg) for each child and based on CDC growth charts, normal weight, overweight and obesity were defined. The results showed that age and sex variables were a significant effect on walking and running skills, but BMI was not significant (P>0.05). Also, these variables had a significant effect on jumping, skipping, hopping and ladder climbing. In both ages, boys in jumping and ladder climbing skills were better than girls, but the girls were better in skipping and hopping skills (P<0.05). Moreover, the results showed that age and BMI variables have a significant effect on stair climbing skill, but sex was not significant (P>0.05). For object control skills, the results showed that age and sex variables were a significant effect on catching and throwing skills, but BMI was not significant (P>0.05). Finally, the age, sex and BMI variables were a significant effect on kicking and sticking skills. This research demonstrated that boys performed better than girls, and both overweight and obese children have lower performance than normal children.

  8. Effects of Obesity and Hypertension on Pulse Wave Velocity in Children.

    PubMed

    Kulsum-Mecci, Nazia; Goss, Charles; Kozel, Beth A; Garbutt, Jane M; Schechtman, Kenneth B; Dharnidharka, Vikas R

    2017-03-01

    Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a biomarker of arterial stiffness. Findings from prior studies are conflicting regarding the impact of obesity on PWV in children. The authors measured carotid-femoral PWV in 159 children aged 4 to 18 years, of whom 95 were healthy, 25 were obese, 15 had hypertension (HTN), and 24 were both obese and hypertensive. Mean PWV increased with age but did not differ by race or sex. In adjusted analyses in children 10 years and older (n=102), PWV was significantly higher in children with hypertension (PWV±standard deviation, 4.9±0.7 m/s), obesity (5.0±0.9 m/s), and combined obesity-hypertension (5.2±0.6 m/s) vs healthy children (4.3±0.7 m/s) (each group, P<.001 vs control). In our study, obesity and HTN both significantly and independently increased PWV, while African American children did not have a higher PWV than Caucasian children. ©2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Factors Affecting Underweight and Obesity Among Elementary School Children in South Korea.

    PubMed

    Lee, GyuYoung; Ham, Ok Kyung

    2015-12-01

    The purpose of the study was to determine factors associated with underweight and obesity in elementary school children in Korea. Study participants included 4,895 children attending 59 elementary schools across Korea. Children were grouped into underweight [< 5% body mass index (BMI)-for-age], normal weight (5%-85% BMI-for-age), and overweight/obese (≥ 85% BMI-for age). The questionnaire included demographic characteristics, health status, and diet and exercise behavior of children, and environmental characteristics of schools. Twelve percent of the children were overweight or obese. The results showed that demographic (age and gender), health status (atopic dermatitis and poor subjective health), and the characteristics of diet and exercise (unbalanced diet and diet experiences) were associated with underweight (p < .05), while demographic (age and gender), health status (poor subjective health), behavioral characteristics (fast food consumption and diet experiences), and school environmental characteristics (rural area) were associated with overweight/obesity (p < .05). Programs and interventions to reduce underweight and overweight/obesity in Korean elementary schools must consider behavioral and environmental characteristics of children. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  10. Prevalence of pre-school children for overweight/obesity in Turkey.

    PubMed

    Santas, Fatih; Santas, Gulcan

    2018-02-01

    Most of the studies and interventions are targeted to address undernutrition, but childhood obesity has become a silent killer among children. Developing countries, including Turkey, could recognize the importance of the issue now and have begun to discuss the necessity of studies on this subject. Therefore, this study aims to examine the prevalence of obesity among pre-school children in Turkey. The data source of this study is the Turkey Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS)-2013. The TDHS-2013 was a sample study to gather information about the fertility levels and changes in them, infant and child mortality, family planning, and maternal and infant health at the national level. Overweight/obesity for height was 8.6% and 6.6% for age. Overweight/obesity problems are mostly observed in the West and are higher in urban areas. Overweight/obesity decreases with increasing age. There is a positive correlation between overweight/obesity and maternal educational level. As the household welfare level increases, overweight/obesity increases in pre-school children. Female children are at higher risk of overweight/obesity than males. As birth order increases, overweight/obesity decreases. Children living in other regions have overweight/obesity problems more than the pre-school children living in the East. This study speculates that obesity appears to be a major problem among pre-school children in Turkey. Based on the findings, the current situation of overweight/obesity among pre-school children is so close to many developing and developed countries, whose obesity levels are a greater concern. This finding demonstrates that effective interventions of obesity should begin as early as infancy in Turkey, as it is a developing country.

  11. Self-regulation and household routines at age three and obesity at age eleven: longitudinal analysis of the UK Millennium Cohort Study

    PubMed Central

    Anderson, Sarah E; Sacker, Amanda; Whitaker, Robert C; Kelly, Yvonne

    2017-01-01

    Objective To examine, in a population-based cohort of three-year-old children, the association between self-regulation and exposure to the household routines of regular bedtime, regular mealtime, and limits on watching television/video; and to determine whether self-regulation and these routines predict the risk of obesity at age 11. Methods Analyses included 10 955 children in the nationally-representative UK Millennium Cohort Study. When children were age 3, parents reported whether children had a regular bedtime and mealtime and the amount of television/video watched. Emotional and cognitive self-regulation at age 3 were assessed by parent-report with the Child Social Behaviour Questionnaire. Children’s height and weight were measured at age 11 and obesity was defined using the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) criteria. Results At age 3, 41% of children always had a regular bedtime, 47% always had a regular mealtime, and 23% were limited to ≤1 hour television/video daily. At age 11, 6.2% of children were obese. All three household routines were significantly associated with better emotional self-regulation, but not better cognitive self-regulation. In a multi-variable logistic regression model including emotional and cognitive self-regulation, all routines, and controlling for sociodemographic covariates, a 1 unit difference in emotional self-regulation at age 3 was associated with an OR (95% CI) for obesity of 1.38 (1.11, 1.71) at age 11, and inconsistent bedtimes with an OR (95% CI) for obesity of 1.87 (1.39, 2.51) at age 11. There was no evidence that emotional self-regulation mediated the relationship between regular bedtimes and later obesity. Cognitive self-regulation was not associated with later obesity. Conclusions Three-year-old children who had regular bedtimes, mealtimes, and limits on their television/video time had better emotional self-regulation. Lack of a regular bedtime and poorer emotional self-regulation at age 3 were independent

  12. Quality of life of obese children in Malaysia.

    PubMed

    Hamzaid, Hana; Talib, Ruzita Abd; Azizi, Nor Hidayah; Maamor, Nathirah; Reilly, John J; Wafa, Sharifah Wajihah

    2011-10-01

    Quality of life (QoL) is impaired in childhood obesity, but the literature on this is all from Western countries. Aim. To test for impairment of QoL in obese children in Malaysia, using parent-reported and child-reported QoL. Health-related Quality of Life was measured using the Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory version 4.0. Comparison of QoL between a community sample of 90 obese children (as defined by US CDC and Cole-IOTF definitions), median age 9.5 y (interquartile range [IQR] 8.6, 10.5 y) and 90 control children of healthy weight (BMI less than the 85th centile of US reference data), median age 10.0 y (IQR 9.6, 10.5 y). Children were matched pair-wise for age, gender, and ethnic group, and controls were recruited from schools in the same area as obese participants. For child self-report, the healthy weight group had significantly higher QoL for the physical (median 82.9, IQR 65.7, 90.6), and psychosocial domains (median, 73.3, IQR 64.4, 83.3), and total QoL (median 76.1, IQR 64.1, 84.8) compared to the obese group (median 67.2, IQR 59.4, 81.3; median 62.5, IQR 53.3, 75.4; median 60.9, IQR 50.8, 73.9; all p < 0.001). There were no significant differences between the obese and healthy weight group for parent-reported physical health, psychosocial health, or total QoL. Obese children in Malaysia have markedly poorer QoL than their peers, but this is not evident when parent reports of QoL are used.

  13. Effects of energy expenditure gene polymorphisms on obesity-related traits in obese children.

    PubMed

    Csernus, Katalin; Pauler, Gábor; Erhardt, Éva; Lányi, Éva; Molnár, Dénes

    2015-01-01

    To assess the frequencies of common polymorphisms of genes associated with energy expenditure among Hungarian obese children and investigate their influences on obesity-related traits and metabolic complications of common childhood obesity. In a total of 528 obese children (age 13.2±2.6 years) an oral glucose tolerance test and determination of fasting serum lipid levels were carried out, blood pressure and resting energy expenditure were measured and the children were genotyped for the following gene polymorphisms: Trp64Arg of β3-adrenoreceptor (ADRB3), -3826 A/G of uncoupling protein (UCP)-1, exon 8 45 bp del/ins and -866 G/A of UCP-2, -55 C/T of UCP-3, and Pro12Ala of peroxisome-proliferator activated receptor gamma-2. Carriers of the ADRB3 Arg64 allele had a significantly higher relative body weight and relative body mass index compared with non-carriers. The UCP-2 exon 8 del/ins polymorphism was associated with higher degree of obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipideamia and lower adjusted metabolic rate. Children with UCP-3 -55 T/T genotype had a significantly lower adjusted metabolic rate than the C allele carriers. We found evidence for associations between common polymorphisms of the ADRB3, the UCP-2 and UCP-3 genes and basic metabolic rate as well as level and metabolic consequences of common obesity among Hungarian school-aged children. Copyright © 2014 Asian Oceanian Association for the Study of Obesity. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. The Effect of Age on the Prevalence of Obesity among US Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

    PubMed

    Must, Aviva; Eliasziw, Misha; Phillips, Sarah M; Curtin, Carol; Kral, Tanja V E; Segal, Mary; Sherwood, Nancy E; Sikich, Linmarie; Stanish, Heidi I; Bandini, Linda G

    2017-02-01

    We sought to assess the association between age and the prevalence of obesity among children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health. Analyses were restricted to 43,777 children, ages 10-17, with valid measures of parent-reported weight, height, and ASD status. Exploratory analyses describe the impact of sex, race/ethnicity, and household income on the relationship between age and obesity in ASD. Although the overall prevalence of obesity among children with ASD was significantly (p < 0.001) higher than among children without ASD (23.1% vs. 14.1%, 95% confidence interval for difference 3.6 to 14.4), child age significantly (p = 0.035) modified this difference. In a multivariable logistic regression analysis, adjusted for sex, race/ethnicity, and household income, the odds of obesity among children with ASD compared with children without ASD increased monotonically from ages 10 to 17 years. This pattern arose due to a consistently high prevalence of obesity among children with ASD and a decline in prevalence with advancing age among children without ASD. These findings were replicated using a propensity score analysis. Exploratory analyses suggested that the age-related change in obesity disparity between children with and without ASD may be further modified by sex, race/ethnicity, and household income. The patterns of prevalence observed with increasing age among children with and without ASD were unexpected. A better understanding of the etiological and maintenance factors for obesity in youth with ASD is needed to develop interventions tailored to the specific needs of these children.

  15. Impact of Obesity on Clinical Outcomes in Urban Children Hospitalized for Status Asthmaticus.

    PubMed

    Aragona, Elena; El-Magbri, Eussra; Wang, Justin; Scheckelhoff, Tessa; Scheckelhoff, Trevor; Hyacinthe, Assata; Nair, Suja; Khan, Amina; Nino, Gustavo; Pillai, Dinesh K

    2016-04-01

    The prevalence of both childhood asthma and obesity remain at historically high levels and disproportionately affect urban children. Asthma is a common and costly cause for pediatric hospitalization. Our objective was to determine the effect of obesity on outcomes among urban children hospitalized with status asthmaticus. A retrospective cohort study was performed by using billing system data and chart review to evaluate urban children admitted for asthma. Demographics, asthma severity, reported comorbidities, and outcomes were assessed. Obesity was defined by BMI percentile (lean<85%, overweight 85%-95%, obese≥95%). Outcomes were length of stay, hospitalization charges, ICU stay, repeat admissions, and subsequent emergency department (ED) visits. Bivariate analysis assessed for differences between overweight/obese and lean children. Multivariable regression assessed the relationship between overweight status and primary outcomes while controlling for other variables. Post hoc age-stratified analysis was also performed. The study included 333 subjects; 38% were overweight/obese. Overweight/obese children admitted with asthma were more likely than lean children to have subsequent ED visits (odds ratio 1.6, 95% confidence interval 1.0-2.6). When stratified by age, overweight/obese preschool-age children (<5 years) were >2 times as likely to have repeat ED visits than lean preschool-age children (odds ratio 2.3, 95% confidence interval 1.0-5.6). There were no differences in the other outcomes between overweight/obese and lean individuals within the entire cohort or within other age groups. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  16. Guelph Family Health Study's Home-Based Obesity Prevention Intervention Increases Fibre and Fruit Intake in Preschool-Aged Children.

    PubMed

    Mirotta, Julia A; Darlington, Gerarda A; Buchholz, Andrea C; Haines, Jess; Ma, David W L; Duncan, Alison M

    2018-06-01

    The Guelph Family Health Study (GFHS) pilot was designed to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of a home-based obesity prevention intervention on health behaviours and obesity risk. The objective of this analysis was to determine the effect of the 6-month intervention on preschool-aged children's dietary intakes. Families with children aged 1.5-5 years old were randomized to receive one of the following: 4 home visits with a health educator as well as tailored emails and mailed incentives (4HV; n = 19 children); 2 home visits with a health educator as well as tailored emails and mailed incentives (2HV; n = 14 children); or general health advice through emails (control; n = 12 children). Three-day food records were completed by parents for their children before and after the 6-month intervention and analyzed for 3-day average intakes of energy, nutrients, and MyPlate food groups. After the 6-month intervention, the 4HV group had significantly higher fibre intake and the 4HV and 2HV groups had significantly higher fruit intake, both compared with the control group. This study provides support for a home-based intervention approach to improve the diet quality of preschool-aged children.

  17. Factors associated with abdominal obesity in children

    PubMed Central

    Melzer, Matheus Ribeiro Theodósio Fernandes; Magrini, Isabella Mastrangi; Domene, Semíramis Martins Álvares; Martins, Paula Andrea

    2015-01-01

    Objective: To identify the association of dietary, socioeconomic factors, sedentary behaviors and maternal nutritional status with abdominal obesity in children. Methods: A cross-sectional study with household-based survey, in 36 randomly selected census tracts in the city of Santos, SP. 357 families were interviewed and questionnaires and anthropometric measurements were applied in mothers and their 3-10 years-old children. Assessment of abdominal obesity was made by maternal and child's waist circumference measurement; for classification used cut-off points proposed by World Health Organization (1998) and Taylor et al. (2000) were applied. The association between variables was performed by multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: 30.5% of children had abdominal obesity. Associations with children's and maternal nutritional status and high socioeconomic status were shown in the univariate analysis. In the regression model, children's body mass index for age (OR=93.7; 95%CI 39.3-223.3), female gender (OR=4.1; 95%CI 1.8-9.3) and maternal abdominal obesity (OR=2.7; 95%CI 1.2-6.0) were significantly associated with children's abdominal obesity, regardless of the socioeconomic status. Conclusions: Abdominal obesity in children seems to be associated with maternal nutritional status, other indicators of their own nutritional status and female gender. Intervention programs for control of childhood obesity and prevention of metabolic syndrome should consider the interaction of the nutritional status of mothers and their children. PMID:26298655

  18. [Factors associated with abdominal obesity in children].

    PubMed

    Melzer, Matheus Ribeiro Theodósio Fernandes; Magrini, Isabella Mastrangi; Domene, Semíramis Martins Álvares; Martins, Paula Andrea

    2015-12-01

    To identify the association of dietary, socioeconomic factors, sedentary behaviors and maternal nutritional status with abdominal obesity in children. A cross-sectional study with household-based survey, in 36 randomly selected census tracts in the city of Santos/SP. 357 families were interviewed and questionnaires and anthropometric measurements were applied in mothers and their 3-0 years-old children. Assessment of abdominal obesity was made by maternal and child's waist circumference measurement; for classification used cut-off points proposed by World Health Organization (1998) and Taylor et al. (2000) were applied. The association between variables was performed by multiple logistic regression analysis. 30.5% of children had abdominal obesity. Associations with children's and maternal nutritional status and high socioeconomic status were shown in the univariate analysis. In the regression model, children's body mass index for age (OR=93.7; 95%CI 39.3-223.3), female gender (OR=4.1; 95%CI 1.8-9.3) and maternal abdominal obesity (OR=2.7; 95%CI 1.2-6.0) were significantly associated with children's abdominal obesity, regardless of the socioeconomic status. Abdominal obesity in children seems to be associated with maternal nutritional status, other indicators of their own nutritional status and female gender. Intervention programs for control of childhood obesity and prevention of metabolic syndrome should consider the interaction of the nutritional status of mothers and their children. Copyright © 2015 Sociedade de Pediatria de São Paulo. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  19. The effectiveness of web-based programs on the reduction of childhood obesity in school-aged children: A systematic review.

    PubMed

    Antwi, Flora; Fazylova, Natalya; Garcon, Marie-Carmel; Lopez, Liliana; Rubiano, Rosagna; Slyer, Jason T

    The objective of this review is to synthesise the best available evidence on the effectiveness of web-based programs on the reduction of childhood obesity in school age children. Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. The problem is global and is steadily affecting many low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings.[1] The prevalence has increased at an alarming rate globally.[2] The International Association for the Study of Obesity; estimates that up to 200 million school aged children are either overweight or obese, of those 40-50 million are classified as obese. Obesity has negative health impact in childhood, as well as in the long term.Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. Body mass index (BMI) is a simple index of weight-for-height that is commonly used to classify overweight and obesity. It is defined as a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of his/her height in meters (kg/m). The World Health Organization defines overweight as BMI greater than or equal to 25 and BMI greater than or equal to 30 as obesity. Children two years of age or older with a BMI between the 85 and 94 percentile on age-growth charts are considered overweight; children with a BMI greater than the 95 percentile are considered obese. BMI provides the most useful population-level measure of overweight and obesity as it is the same for both sexes and for all ages worldwide. Measures of central obesity such as the waist:hip ratio and waist circumference can provide more robust indices of overall obesity-related health risk than BMI alone. A BMI z-score is a quantitative measure of the deviation of a specific BMI percentile from the mean of that population. A positive z-score indicates a child is heavier than the mean and a negative z-score indicates a child is lighter than the mean. Thus, a z-score compares the BMI of a given child to the BMI

  20. The Evolution of Mothers' Beliefs About Overweight and Obesity in Their Early School-Age Children.

    PubMed

    Pesch, Megan H; Meixner, Kaitlin A; Appugliese, Danielle P; Rosenblum, Katherine L; Miller, Alison L; Lumeng, Julie C

    2016-08-01

    To identify changes in maternal beliefs, concerns, and perspectives about overweight and obesity in their children over a 2-year period. A total of 37 low-income English-speaking mothers of overweight or obese children participated in 2 semistructured interviews, separated by about 2 years. Mean child age was 5.9 years at baseline and 8.2 years at follow-up. Mother and child anthropometric data were obtained, and mothers completed demographic questionnaires at both time points. Mothers' interviews were analyzed using the constant comparative method for longitudinal patterns of change in their perspectives on childhood obesity across the 2 time points. Six longitudinal patterns of change in mothers' perspectives and beliefs were identified: 1) mothers' identification of a weight problem in their child emerges gradually, 2) mothers' level of concern about their child overeating increases, 3) mothers' concerns about consequences of obesity intensify and change over time, 4) mothers feel less control over their child's eating and weight, 5) mothers' efforts to manage eating and weight become more intentional, and 6) mothers are more likely to initiate conversations about weight as their child gets older. Mothers' concerns about children's weight and eating habits increased, and reported weight management strategies became more intentional over a 2-year period. Further research should consider attending to maternal perspectives on child weight and eating and their evolution in the development of family-based interventions for childhood obesity. Copyright © 2016 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. NET-Works: Linking families, communities and primary care to prevent obesity in preschool-age children.

    PubMed

    Sherwood, Nancy E; French, Simone A; Veblen-Mortenson, Sara; Crain, A Lauren; Berge, Jerica; Kunin-Batson, Alicia; Mitchell, Nathan; Senso, Meghan

    2013-11-01

    Obesity prevention in children offers a unique window of opportunity to establish healthful eating and physical activity behaviors to maintain a healthful body weight and avoid the adverse proximal and distal long-term health consequences of obesity. Given that obesity is the result of a complex interaction between biological, behavioral, family-based, and community environmental factors, intervention at multiple levels and across multiple settings is critical for both short- and long-term effectiveness. The Minnesota NET-Works (Now Everybody Together for Amazing and Healthful Kids) study is one of four obesity prevention and/or treatment trials that are part of the Childhood Obesity Prevention and Treatment (COPTR) Consortium. The goal of the NET-Works study is to evaluate an intervention that integrates home, community, primary care and neighborhood strategies to promote healthful eating, activity patterns, and body weight among low income, racially/ethnically diverse preschool-age children. Critical to the success of this intervention is the creation of linkages among the settings to support parents in making home environment and parenting behavior changes to foster healthful child growth. Five hundred racially/ethnically diverse, two-four year old children and their parent or primary caregiver will be randomized to the multi-component intervention or to a usual care comparison group for a three-year period. This paper describes the study design, measurement and intervention protocols, and statistical analysis plan for the NET-Works trial. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Congenital heart disease and the prevalence of underweight and obesity from age 1 to 15 years: data on a nationwide sample of children.

    PubMed

    Schwartz, Sara; Olsen, Morten; Woo, Jessica G; Madsen, Nicolas

    2017-01-01

    We examined the prevalence of underweight and obesity in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) compared with the general population. Using the Danish National Patient Registry, we identified individuals born and diagnosed with CHD in Denmark during 1996-2012 who were alive at 1 year of age. A unique personal identifier enabled identification of CHD subjects, as well as birth year and sex-matched (1:10) general population controls. The Children's Database has recorded height and weight measured by clinical providers at preventive health checks offered to all children in Denmark. Data recording were made mandatory in 2011. Obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI) above the 95thpercentile and underweight as BMI below the fifth percentile for age and sex. We determined the prevalence of underweight and obesity at study subjects' first height and weight recording. For those underweight at age 1 year, prevalence of underweight and obesity at later recordings was assessed. We identified 9194 children with CHD of which 2679 (29%) had at least one recording of height and weight. The control cohort demonstrated a similar portion of anthropometric data: 30 047 (31%) of 96 585 controls. The prevalence of underweight and obesity at CHD study subjects' first height and weight recording was 9.7% (95% CI 8.7 to 11) and 4.1% (95% CI 3.4 to 4.9), respectively. Among individuals with CHD who were underweight at age 1 year (n=78), 51 (65%) had additional BMI recordings between ages 2 and 5 years with a subsequently diminished prevalence of underweight of 27% (95% CI 20 to 35) and none were obese. The CHD population had an increased prevalence of underweight compared with the general population. Data indicated potential for BMI normalisation among those initially underweight at age 1 year. The prevalence of obesity in children with CHD was comparable with that of the general population.

  3. The Effect of Age on the Prevalence of Obesity among US Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder

    PubMed Central

    Eliasziw, Misha; Phillips, Sarah M.; Curtin, Carol; Kral, Tanja V.E.; Segal, Mary; Sherwood, Nancy E.; Sikich, Linmarie; Stanish, Heidi I.; Bandini, Linda G.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Background: We sought to assess the association between age and the prevalence of obesity among children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the 2011–2012 National Survey of Children's Health. Methods: Analyses were restricted to 43,777 children, ages 10–17, with valid measures of parent-reported weight, height, and ASD status. Exploratory analyses describe the impact of sex, race/ethnicity, and household income on the relationship between age and obesity in ASD. Results: Although the overall prevalence of obesity among children with ASD was significantly (p < 0.001) higher than among children without ASD (23.1% vs. 14.1%, 95% confidence interval for difference 3.6 to 14.4), child age significantly (p = 0.035) modified this difference. In a multivariable logistic regression analysis, adjusted for sex, race/ethnicity, and household income, the odds of obesity among children with ASD compared with children without ASD increased monotonically from ages 10 to 17 years. This pattern arose due to a consistently high prevalence of obesity among children with ASD and a decline in prevalence with advancing age among children without ASD. These findings were replicated using a propensity score analysis. Exploratory analyses suggested that the age-related change in obesity disparity between children with and without ASD may be further modified by sex, race/ethnicity, and household income. Conclusions: The patterns of prevalence observed with increasing age among children with and without ASD were unexpected. A better understanding of the etiological and maintenance factors for obesity in youth with ASD is needed to develop interventions tailored to the specific needs of these children. PMID:27704874

  4. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in Chinese children and adolescents from 2015.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Yunping; Zhang, Qian; Wang, Tao; Zhang, Yanqing; Xu, Bo

    2017-11-01

    To update the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents from 2015. Data for this study were obtained from children and adolescents aged 7-17 years with measured weight and height from the National Surveys on Chinese Students' Constitution and Health in 2015. Measurements from 29 418 children and adolescents (14 480 boys and 14 938 girls) were analysed. Among children and adolescents aged 7-17 years, the prevalence of obesity was 13.2% (95% CI = 12.8-13.7%) in 2015. Moreover, the prevalence of obesity for children aged 7-12 years (20.3% (95% CI = 19.5-21.1%)) was significantly higher than in adolescents aged 13-17 years (9.6% (95% CI = 9.2-10.0%)) (p < 0.001). Obesity was much worse in children than adolescents in China; future studies are warranted to understand why these differences may be occurring.

  5. Decreasing Prevalence of Obesity Among Young Children in Massachusetts From 2004 to 2008

    PubMed Central

    Gillman, Matthew W.; Rifas-Shiman, Sheryl L.; Sherry, Bettylou; Kleinman, Ken; Taveras, Elsie M.

    2012-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To examine whether the obesity prevalence is increasing, level, or decreasing among young US children (aged <6 years) in the past decade; and to compare regional data to those of 2 national databases. METHODS: We analyzed data from 108 762 well-child visits (36 827 children) at a multisite pediatric practice in eastern Massachusetts during 1999–2008. By using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2000 gender-specific growth charts, we defined obesity as weight-for-length ≥95th percentile for children aged <24 months and BMI ≥95th percentile for children aged 24 to <72 months. By using multivariable logistic regression, we estimated gender-specific obesity trends in 2 separate periods, 1999–2003 and 2004–2008, adjusting for age group, race/ethnicity, health insurance, and practice site. RESULTS: From 1999 to 2003, the obesity prevalence was fairly stable among both boys and girls. From 2004 to 2008, the obesity prevalence substantially decreased among both boys and girls. The decline in obesity prevalence during 2004–2008 was more pronounced among children insured by non-Medicaid health plans than among those insured by Medicaid. CONCLUSIONS: Among children aged <6 years at this multisite pediatric practice, obesity prevalence decreased during 2004–2008, which is in line with national data showing no increase in prevalence during this time period. The smaller decrease among Medicaid-insured children may portend widening of socioeconomic disparities in childhood obesity. PMID:22529276

  6. Development of a Behavioral Sleep Intervention as a Novel Approach for Pediatric Obesity in School-aged Children.

    PubMed

    Hart, Chantelle N; Hawley, Nicola L; Wing, Rena R

    2016-06-01

    Despite being the focus of widespread public health efforts, childhood obesity remains an epidemic worldwide. Given the now well-documented consequences of obesity for childhood health and psychosocial functioning, as well as associated morbidity in adulthood, identifying novel, modifiable behaviors that can be targeted to improve weight control is imperative. Enhancing children's sleep may show promise in assisting with weight regulation. The present paper describes the development of a brief behavioral sleep intervention for school-aged children, including preliminary findings of this work as well as areas for future study. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Determining rates of overweight and obese status in children using electronic medical records

    PubMed Central

    Birken, Catherine S.; Tu, Karen; Oud, William; Carsley, Sarah; Hanna, Miranda; Lebovic, Gerald; Guttmann, Astrid

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Objective To determine the prevalence of overweight and obese status in children by age, sex, and visit type, using data from EMRALD® (Electronic Medical Record Administrative data Linked Database). Design Heights and weights were abstracted for children 0 to 19 years of age who had at least one well-child visit from January 2010 to December 2011. Using the most recent visit, the proportions and 95% CIs of patients defined as overweight and obese were compared by age group, sex, and visit type using the World Health Organization growth reference standards. Setting Ontario. Participants Children 0 to 19 years of age who were rostered to a primary care physician participating in EMRALD and had at least one well-child visit from January 2010 to December 2011. Main outcome measures Proportion and 95% CI of children with overweight and obese status by age group; proportion of children with overweight and obese status by sex (with male sex as the referent) within each age group; and proportion of children with overweight and obese status at the most recent well-child visit type compared with other visit types by age group. Results There were 28 083 well-child visits during this period. For children who attended well-child visits, 84.7% of visits had both a height and weight documented. Obesity rates were significantly higher in 1- to 4-year-olds compared with children younger than 1 (6.1% vs 2.3%; P < .001), and in 10- to 14-year-olds compared with 5- to 9-year-olds (12.0% vs 9.0%; P < .05). Both 1- to 4-year-old boys (7.2% vs 4.9%; P < .01) and 10- to 14-year-old boys (14.5% vs 9.6%; P < .05) had higher obesity rates compared with girls. Rates of overweight and obese status were lower using data from well-child visits compared with other visits. Conclusion Electronic medical records might be useful to conduct population-based surveillance of overweight or obese status in children. Methodologic standards, however, should be developed. PMID:28209703

  8. Prevalence and characteristics of overweight and obesity in indigenous Australian children: A systematic review.

    PubMed

    Dyer, Suzanne Marie; Gomersall, Judith Streak; Smithers, Lisa Gaye; Davy, Carol; Coleman, Dylan T; Street, Jackie Mary

    2017-05-03

    Evidence-based profiling of obesity and overweight in Indigenous Australian children has been poor. This study systematically reviewed evidence of the prevalence and patterns of obesity/overweight, with respect to gender, age, remoteness, and birth weight, in Indigenous Australian children, 0-18 years (PROSPERO CRD42014007626). Study quality and risk of bias were assessed. Twenty-five publications (21 studies) met inclusion criteria, with large variations in prevalence for obesity or overweight (11 to 54%) reported. A high degree of heterogeneity in study design was observed, few studies (6/21) were representative of the target population, and few appropriately recruited Indigenous children (8/21). Variability in study design, conduct, and small sample sizes mean that it is not possible to derive a single estimate for prevalence although two high-quality studies indicate at least one in four Indigenous Australian children are overweight or obese. Four of six studies reporting on gender, found overweight/obesity higher in girls and eight studies reporting on overweight/obesity by age suggest prevalence increases with age with one high quality large national study reporting total overweight/obesity as 22.4% of children aged 2-4 years, 27.5% of those aged 5-9, 38.5% aged 10-14, and 36.3% aged 15-17. Three of four studies, reporting obesity/overweight by region, found lower rates for children living in more remote areas than urban areas.

  9. Maternal BMI as a predictor of methylation of obesity-related genes in saliva samples from preschool-age Hispanic children at-risk for obesity.

    PubMed

    Oelsner, Kathryn Tully; Guo, Yan; To, Sophie Bao-Chieu; Non, Amy L; Barkin, Shari L

    2017-01-09

    The study of epigenetic processes and mechanisms present a dynamic approach to assess complex individual variation in obesity susceptibility. However, few studies have examined epigenetic patterns in preschool-age children at-risk for obesity despite the relevance of this developmental stage to trajectories of weight gain. We hypothesized that salivary DNA methylation patterns of key obesogenic genes in Hispanic children would 1) correlate with maternal BMI and 2) allow for identification of pathways associated with children at-risk for obesity. Genome-wide DNA methylation was conducted on 92 saliva samples collected from Hispanic preschool children using the Infinium Illumina HumanMethylation 450 K BeadChip (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA), which interrogates >484,000 CpG sites associated with ~24,000 genes. The analysis was limited to 936 genes that have been associated with obesity in a prior GWAS Study. Child DNA methylation at 17 CpG sites was found to be significantly associated with maternal BMI, with increased methylation at 12 CpG sites and decreased methylation at 5 CpG sites. Pathway analysis revealed methylation at these sites related to homocysteine and methionine degradation as well as cysteine biosynthesis and circadian rhythm. Furthermore, eight of the 17 CpG sites reside in genes (FSTL1, SORCS2, NRF1, DLC1, PPARGC1B, CHN2, NXPH1) that have prior known associations with obesity, diabetes, and the insulin pathway. Our study confirms that saliva is a practical human tissue to obtain in community settings and in pediatric populations. These salivary findings indicate potential epigenetic differences in Hispanic preschool children at risk for pediatric obesity. Identifying early biomarkers and understanding pathways that are epigenetically regulated during this critical stage of child development may present an opportunity for prevention or early intervention for addressing childhood obesity. The clinical trial protocol is available at Clinical

  10. Psychological, behavioral and familial factors in obese Cuban children and adolescents.

    PubMed

    Pérez, Lourdes M; García, Keytel; Herrera, Raúl

    2013-10-01

    The global prevalence of obesity has reached alarming proportions. In Cuba, the rise in numbers of children who are overweight or obese, especially preschoolers and adolescents, is similar to that observed in developed countries. Beyond the physical risk factors, there is evidence that obesity has negative psychological, social, academic and economic effects. Describe the psychological, behavioral and familial factors present in a group of obese children and adolescents in Cuba. This is a qualitative cross-sectional study of 202 obese children and adolescents aged 3-18 years, with an average age of 9.9 years, seen at the Medical-Surgical Research Center (Havana) psychology service from January 2009 through December 2012. Techniques included interviews of patients and parents, projective drawings and the Rotter Incomplete Sentence Blank. Unhealthy eating habits were reported in 96% of obese children and adolescents, and sedentary lifestyles in 88.1%. Emotional state was affected in 80.2%, and in 72.3% there were family attitudes with potential to produce psychological disturbances in children. Psychological, behavioral, and familial factors known to foster development and perpetuation of obesity were observed in the majority of cases. This is a first diagnostic stage that will aid in design and implementation of a psychological intervention program for obese and overweight children and their families.

  11. Prevalence of obesity among young Asian-American children.

    PubMed

    Jain, Anjali; Mitchell, Stephanie; Chirumamilla, Radha; Zhang, Jin; Horn, Ivor B; Lewin, Amy; Huang, Z Jennifer

    2012-12-01

    Asian-American children are considered to be at low risk of obesity, but previous estimates have not distinguished between children from different Asian countries. We estimate the prevalence of obesity among Asian-American children by mother's country of origin, generational status, and family socioeconomic factors using a secondary analysis of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) wave III (children ∼4 years old) dataset. The ECLS-B is a nationally representative study of children born in 2001 that oversampled births to Asian mothers. Asian ethnic categories included Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Asian Indian, Korean, Vietnamese, and Other Asian/Pacific Islander. The primary outcome variable was weight status; overweight = BMI ≥85(th) and obese = BMI ≥95(th) percentile for age and gender. Twenty-six percent [95% confidence interval (CI) 23.6-29.1] of Asian-American 4 year olds were overweight or obese, and 13% (95% CI 10.2-15.2) were obese. Chinese-American children were at lower risk of overweight or obesity (23.5%, 95% CI 18.4-29.5 ) compared to whites (36%, 95% CI 34.3-37.7); Asian-Indian 4 year olds had the lowest rates of overweight or obesity (15.6%, 95% CI 8.0-28.2) and were most likely to be underweight (10%, 95% CI 4.9-19.4). Among Asians,Vietnamese-American children had the highest rate of overweight or obesity (34.7%, 95% CI 0.6-52.3). Vietnamese-American children are at elevated risk of obesity and overweight, whereas Chinese and Asian-Indian children are at low risk. After controlling for Asian ethnicity, maternal education, and household poverty status, Asian-American children whose mothers were born outside the United States were less likely to be obese [odds ratio = 0.55 (0.32-0.95), p = 0.03].

  12. Small for gestational age and obesity: epidemiology and general risks

    PubMed Central

    Nam, Hyo-Kyoung

    2018-01-01

    Children born small for gestational age (SGA) have several life-long consequences. Previous epidemiological studies investigated from childhood to adulthood reported that a number of chronic diseases originate in the prenatal period. With the emerging era of obesity epidemic, more concerns are related to being obese than being short-statured in SGA children. The exact mechanisms are uncertain; however, growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor axis disturbance by fetal programming and accelerated postnatal weight gain contributed to central adiposity in SGA children. In this review, we summarized the definitions and prevalence of SGA, epidemiology, and general risks of obesity in SGA children. Early interventions, before and after birth, are needed for healthy catch-up growth to prevent later obesity and related complications. PMID:29609444

  13. Overweight and Obesity among Children: An Evaluation of a Walking Program.

    PubMed

    Zuraikat, Nashat; Dugan, Catherine

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of overweight and obesity among 5,158 school-age children and to evaluate the effectiveness of a walking program to encourage physical activity among children in Western Pennsylvania. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), obesity in school-age children affects approximately 19% of children 6-11 years old in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2010c ). Data were collected over six years. The results of the study revealed the prevalence of obesity and overweight was higher than the national averages: 36% versus 20%. The results also revealed the walking program to be beneficial in reducing students' prevalence of obesity and overweight and keeping them moving.

  14. Childhood obesity and dental caries in homeless children.

    PubMed

    Chiu, Sheau-Huey; Dimarco, Marguerite A; Prokop, Jessica L

    2013-01-01

    Childhood obesity and dental caries are increasing epidemics, especially among children who are living below the poverty level. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and caries in homeless children. A secondary data analysis with a correlational design was used. A convenience sample of 157 children was recruited from a homeless shelter. Pearson's and partial correlations were used to explore the relationships among age, BMI, and caries. Most of the children were girls and were African American. Slightly more than half of the children were overweight (19.7%) or obese (30.6%) and had caries (50.3%). Significant positive correlations between age and BMI (p = .03) as well as between age and caries (p = .003) were found. As BMI increased, so did caries (p = .08). Consistent with reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, homeless children had higher BMI and caries rates than the national averages. Although a definitive conclusion between obesity and dental caries cannot be drawn, these two health issues are important areas for all pediatric health care providers to address at every visit. Copyright © 2013 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Evidence in obese children: contribution of hyperlipidemia, obesity-inflammation, and insulin sensitivity.

    PubMed

    Chang, Chi-Jen; Jian, Deng-Yuan; Lin, Ming-Wei; Zhao, Jun-Zhi; Ho, Low-Tone; Juan, Chi-Chang

    2015-01-01

    Evidence shows a high incidence of insulin resistance, inflammation and dyslipidemia in adult obesity. The aim of this study was to assess the relevance of inflammatory markers, circulating lipids, and insulin sensitivity in overweight/obese children. We enrolled 45 male children (aged 6 to 13 years, lean control = 16, obese = 19, overweight = 10) in this study. The plasma total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose and insulin levels, the circulating levels of inflammatory factors, such as TNF-α, IL-6, and MCP-1, and the high-sensitive CRP level were determined using quantitative colorimetric sandwich ELISA kits. Compared with the lean control subjects, the obese subjects had obvious insulin resistance, abnormal lipid profiles, and low-grade inflammation. The overweight subjects only exhibited significant insulin resistance and low-grade inflammation. Both TNF-α and leptin levels were higher in the overweight/obese subjects. A concurrent correlation analysis showed that body mass index (BMI) percentile and fasting insulin were positively correlated with insulin resistance, lipid profiles, and inflammatory markers but negatively correlated with adiponectin. A factor analysis identified three domains that explained 74.08% of the total variance among the obese children (factor 1: lipid, 46.05%; factor 2: obesity-inflammation, 15.38%; factor 3: insulin sensitivity domains, 12.65%). Our findings suggest that lipid, obesity-inflammation, and insulin sensitivity domains predominantly exist among obese children. These factors might be applied to predict the outcomes of cardiovascular diseases in the future.

  16. Source of parental reports of child height and weight during phone interviews and influence on obesity prevalence estimates among children aged 3-17 years.

    PubMed

    Skinner, Asheley Cockrell; Miles, Donna; Perrin, Eliana M; Coyne-Beasley, Tamera; Ford, Carol

    2013-01-01

    We compared parental reports of children's height and weight when the values were estimated vs. parent-measured to determine how these reports influence the estimated prevalence of childhood obesity. In the 2007 and 2008 North Carolina Child Health Assessment and Monitoring Program surveys, parents reported height and weight for children aged 3-17 years. When parents reported the values were not measured (by doctor, school, or home), they were asked to measure their child and were later called back. We categorized body mass index status using standard CDC definitions, and we used Chi-square tests and the Stuart-Maxwell test of marginal homogeneity to examine reporting differences. About 80% (n=509) of the 638 parents who reported an unmeasured height and/or weight participated in a callback and provided updated measures. Children originally classified as obese were subsequently classified as obese (67%), overweight (13%), and healthy weight (19%). An estimated 28% of younger children (<10 years of age) vs. 6% of older children (aged ≥10 years) were reclassified on callback. Having parents who guessed the height and weight of their children and then reported updated values did not significantly change the overall population estimates of obesity. Our findings demonstrate that using parent-reported height and weight values may be sufficient to provide reasonable estimates of obesity prevalence. Systematically asking the source of height and weight information may help improve how it is applied to research of the prevalence of childhood obesity when gold-standard measurements are not available.

  17. [Overweight and obesity among children in nurseries].

    PubMed

    Alvarez-Villaseñor, Andrea Socorro; George-Flores, Víctor

    2014-01-01

    Childhood obesity is a public health problem worldwide, which is associated with the diet, decreased physical activity and caloric imbalance, as well as genetic, behavioral and environmental factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted where the prevalence of overweight and obesity was estimated in nurseries from the Mexican Institute of Social Security in the state of Baja California Sur. Three hundred and sixty-eight children aged between two and 47 months who were being looked after in nurseries of three geographical areas from the state were analyzed. The children's body mass index was measured with the Anthro software, version 3.2.2, as recommended by the World Health Organization. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and the chi-square test. Of the 368 studied children, 176 were male (48 %) and 192 female (52 %). The nurseries belonged to the northern, central-La Paz and southern areas. Average age was 26.1 ± 13.1 months. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 17.3 %: 30 % in the central zone, 8.5 % in the Northern zone and 7.6 % in the Southern zone. There was no relationship between diagnosis and age. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was lower than that reported worldwide. The highest prevalence was observed in the central-La Paz zone, probably due to cultural and social contexts. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in nurseries from the Baja California Sur institutional office was 17.3 %.

  18. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in a large clinical sample of children with autism.

    PubMed

    Broder-Fingert, Sarabeth; Brazauskas, Karissa; Lindgren, Kristen; Iannuzzi, Dorothea; Van Cleave, Jeanne

    2014-01-01

    Overweight and obesity are major pediatric public health problems in the United States; however, limited data exist on the prevalence and correlates of overnutrition in children with autism. Through a large integrated health care system's patient database, we identified 6672 children ages 2 to 20 years with an assigned ICD-9 code of autism (299.0), Asperger syndrome (299.8), and control subjects from 2008 to 2011 who had at least 1 weight and height recorded in the same visit. We calculated age-adjusted, sex-adjusted body mass index and classified children as overweight (body mass index 85th to 95th percentile) or obese (≥ 95th percentile). We used multinomial logistic regression to compare the odds of overweight and obesity between groups. We then used logistic regression to evaluate factors associated with overweight and obesity in children with autism, including demographic and clinical characteristics. Compared to control subjects, children with autism and Asperger syndrome had significantly higher odds of overweight (odds ratio, 95% confidence interval: autism 2.24, 1.74-2.88; Asperger syndrome 1.49, 1.12-1.97) and obesity (autism 4.83, 3.85-6.06; Asperger syndrome 5.69, 4.50-7.21). Among children with autism, we found a higher odds of obesity in older children (aged 12-15 years 1.87, 1.33-2.63; aged 16-20 years 1.94, 1.39-2.71) compared to children aged 6 to 11 years. We also found higher odds of overweight and obesity in those with public insurance (overweight 1.54, 1.25-1.89; obese 1.16, 1.02-1.40) and with co-occurring sleep disorder (obese 1.23, 1.00-1.53). Children with autism and Asperger syndrome had significantly higher odds of overweight and obesity than control subjects. Older age, public insurance, and co-occurring sleep disorder were associated with overweight or obesity in this population. Copyright © 2014 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Risk factors for childhood obesity in elementary school-age Taiwanese children.

    PubMed

    Chen, Jyu-Lin; Kennedy, Christine; Yeh, Chao-Hsing; Kools, Susan

    2005-01-01

    A cross-sectional study design was used to examine factors that contribute to high relative weight in children in Taiwan. A total sample of 331 Chinese children (ages 7 and 8) and their parents participated in the study. Parents completed questionnaires regarding demographic information, family functioning, parenting styles, physical activity, and dietary intake. Children completed physical fitness tests and questionnaires regarding physical activity, dietary intake, coping strategies, and self-esteem. The weight-for-length index was used to measure children's relative weight. The findings revealed that four variables contributed to higher weight-for-length index in boys compared with girls and explained 37.7% of the variance: high maternal body mass index, poor aerobic capacity, healthy family role functioning, and poor family affective responsiveness. Two variables were found to contribute to higher weight-for-length index in girls and explained 12.8% of the variance: high household income and high maternal body mass index. Taken together, the results indicate the importance of assessment of children's weight status, maternal weight status, and family functioning as part of routine child health care and the need for developmentally appropriate and gender-specific approaches to prevent childhood obesity.

  20. The stigmatization of obesity among Gypsy and Hungarian children.

    PubMed

    Papp, Ildikó; Túry, Ferenc

    2013-06-01

    Prejudice against obese people has been widely confirmed in scientific papers. Therefore, recent studies have increasingly focused on investigating the individual and cultural factors related to attitudes towards obesity. Since there have been no comparative studies involving Gypsy people, our present research aimed at exploring the possible discrepancies in children's attitudes towards obese children between Gypsy and Hungarian cultures. Our survey included 247 children aged 9-16 (108 boys and 139 girls), of which 136 considered themselves Hungarian (55.1 %), while 111 children (44.9 %) claimed themselves as Gypsy. The subjects were asked to rank six male and six female figure drawings according to their preference. Each sequence of figure drawings included a healthy child, an obese child, and four drawings depicted children with disabilities. According to our results, the drawings portraying the healthy child figure were rated most preferable and those portraying the obese child figure the least preferable amongst the subjects regardless of gender and origin. However, the obese girl figures and boy figures were rated significantly more positively by Gypsy children than Hungarian children. Our results suggest that there is a difference in attitude towards obesity among Gypsy and Hungarian children. Therefore, it is worthwhile to further explore this phenomenon.

  1. Obese parents – obese children? Psychological-psychiatric risk factors of parental behavior and experience for the development of obesity in children aged 0–3: study protocol

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background The incidences of childhood overweight and obesity have increased substantially and with them the prevalence of associated somatic and psychiatric health problems. Therefore, it is important to identify modifiable risk factors for early childhood overweight in order to develop effective prevention or intervention programs. Besides biological factors, familial interactions and parental behavioral patterns may influence children’s weight development. Longitudinal investigation of children at overweight risk could help to detect significant risk and protective factors. We aim to describe infants’ weight development over time and identify risk and protective factors for the incidence of childhood obesity. Based on our findings we will draw up a risk model that will lay the foundation for an intervention/prevention program. Methods/Design We present the protocol of a prospective longitudinal study in which we investigate families with children aged from 6 months to 47 months. In half of the families at least one parent is obese (risk group), in the other half both parents are normal weight (control group). Based on developmental and health-psychological models, we consider measurements at three levels: the child, the parents and parent–child-relationship. Three assessment points are approximately one year apart. At each assessment point we evaluate the psychological, social, and behavioral situation of the parents as well as the physical and psychosocial development of the child. Parents are interviewed, fill in questionnaires, and take part in standardized interaction tasks with their child in a feeding and in a playing context in our research laboratory. The quality of these video-taped parent–child interactions is assessed by analyzing them with standardized, validated instruments according to scientific standards. Discussion Strengths of the presented study are the prospective longitudinal design, the multi-informant approach, including the

  2. The Association between Maltreatment and Obesity among Preschool Children

    PubMed Central

    Whitaker, Robert C.; Phillips, Shannon M.; Orzol, Sean M.; Burdette, Hillary L.

    2009-01-01

    Objective To determine whether child maltreatment is associated with obesity in preschool children. Methods Data were obtained from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a birth cohort study of 4898 children born between 1998 and 2000 in 20 large US cities. At 3 years of age, 2412 of these children had their height and weight measured, and mothers answered items on the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scales about three types of child maltreatment—neglect, corporal punishment, and psychological aggression. The frequency of each type of maltreatment behavior in the prior year was analyzed using categories—ever/never for neglect and quintiles for the other 2 types of maltreatment. Child obesity was defined as measured body mass index (kg/m2) ≥ 95th percentile. Results Eighteen percent of the children were obese, and the prevalence of any episode of neglect, corporal punishment, and psychological aggression was 11%, 84%, and 93%, respectively. The odds of obesity were increased in children who had experienced neglect (odds ratio 1.56, 95% confidence interval, 1.14-2.14), after controlling for the income and number of children in the household, the mothers’ race/ethnicity, education, marital status, body mass index, prenatal smoking, and age, and the children’s sex and birth weight. Neither the frequency of corporal punishment nor psychological aggression was associated with an increased risk of obesity. Conclusions In a sample of preschool children from 20 large US cities, maternal self-report of neglectful behavior was associated with an increased risk of childhood obesity, after controlling for birth weight, maternal obesity, and multiple socioeconomic factors. PMID:18023869

  3. Should children with overweight or obesity be excluded from height references?

    PubMed

    Júlíusson, Pétur B; Brannsether, Bente; Kristiansen, Hege; Hoppenbrouwers, Karel; Bjerknes, Robert; Roelants, Mathieu

    2015-11-01

    Growth reference charts are usually based on measurements of children free from a medical condition that affects growth. However, samples collected during the past decades often contain a large proportion of overweight or obese children. Because obesity increases linear growth, the question arises to what extent the percentiles curves for length/height are affected by the presence of children with overweight or obesity. Data from two cross-sectional samples of 2-year-old to 18-year-old children were analysed: 12,252 Belgian children, measured in 2002-2004, and 6159 Norwegian children, measured in 2003-2006. The LMS method was used to estimate height-for-age curves with and without children considered overweight or obese according to the International Obesity Task Force thresholds. The prevalence of overweight (including obesity) and obesity was 13.0% and 2.8% in the Belgian and 13.8% and 2.3% in the Norwegian sample. Children were taller when overweight (+0.49 and 0.43 SD, in the Belgian and Norwegian sample, respectively) or obese (+0.73 and 0.72 SD in the Belgian and Norwegian sample, respectively). Effect sizes were smaller in younger and older children, which points to an advanced age of maturation as a possible cause. Excluding overweight and obese children had only a minor impact on the growth curves with largest difference in mean height SD scores -0.09 in the Belgian and -0.12 in the Norwegian sample with a corresponding increase of up to 0.5% and 1.2% in number of children >+2 SD. Current Belgian and Norwegian growth references for length/height were found to be largely unaffected by the current proportion of overweight and obese children. There is, therefore, no need for revised height charts that exclude overweight or obese children. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  4. Anxiety, Family Functioning and Neuroendocrine Biomarkers in Obese Children.

    PubMed

    Pinto, Inês; Wilkinson, Simon; Virella, Daniel; Alves, Marta; Calhau, Conceição; Coelho, Rui

    2017-04-28

    This observational study explores potential links between obese children's cortisol, and parental mental state, family functioning, and the children's symptoms of anxiety and depression. A non-random sample of 104 obese children (55 boys), mean age 10.9 years (standard deviation 1.76), was recruited from a childhood obesity clinic. Obesity was defined as body mass index above the 95th age- and gender-specific percentiles. Neuroendocrine biomarkers were measured. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were assessed with self and parent-reported questionnaires (Anxiety, Depression and Stress Scales; Child Behaviour Checklist). Family functioning was assessed with parent-reported questionnaires (Family Adaptation and Cohesion Scales-III). A significant, negative correlation (rs = -0.779; p = 0.003) between girls' cortisol and their parents' anxiety symptoms was found, limited to high functioning families. Boys scored significantly higher than girls on parent-reported internalizing symptoms but not on self-report. No association was found between cortisol in children and parental depressive symptoms. Whether the association between cortisol levels in obese children and parental mental health is effectively restricted to girls from high functioning families or is due to study limitations, requires further research. The lack of associations between cortisol in children and parental depressive symptoms, suggests a specific association between cortisol and parental anxiety symptoms. These results highlight the importance of taking into account family functioning, parental mental state and gender, when investigating neuroendocrine biomarkers in obese children associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression.

  5. Earlier Mother's Age at Menarche Predicts Rapid Infancy Growth and Childhood Obesity

    PubMed Central

    Ong, Ken K; Northstone, Kate; Wells, Jonathan CK; Rubin, Carol; Ness, Andy R; Golding, Jean; Dunger, David B

    2007-01-01

    Background Early menarche tends to be preceded by rapid infancy weight gain and is associated with increased childhood and adult obesity risk. As age at menarche is a heritable trait, we hypothesised that age at menarche in the mother may in turn predict her children's early growth and obesity risk. Methods and Findings We tested associations between mother's age at menarche, mother's adult body size and obesity risk, and her children's growth and obesity risk in 6,009 children from the UK population-based Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) birth cohort who had growth and fat mass at age 9 y measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. A subgroup of 914 children also had detailed infancy and childhood growth data. In the mothers, earlier menarche was associated with shorter adult height (by 0.64 cm/y), increased weight (0.92 kg/y), and body mass index (BMI, 0.51 kg/m2/y; all p < 0.001). In contrast, in her children, earlier mother's menarche predicted taller height at 9 y (by 0.41 cm/y) and greater weight (0.80 kg/y), BMI (0.29 kg/m2/y), and fat mass index (0.22 kg/m2/year; all p < 0.001). Children in the earliest mother's menarche quintile (≤11 y) were more obese than the oldest quintile (≥15 y) (OR, 2.15, 95% CI 1.46 to 3.17; p < 0.001, adjusted for mother's education and BMI). In the subgroup, children in the earliest quintile showed faster gains in weight (p < 0.001) and height (p < 0.001) only from birth to 2 y, but not from 2 to 9 y (p = 0.3–0.8). Conclusions Earlier age at menarche may be a transgenerational marker of a faster growth tempo, characterised by rapid weight gain and growth, particularly during infancy, and leading to taller childhood stature, but likely earlier maturation and therefore shorter adult stature. This growth pattern confers increased childhood and adult obesity risks. PMID:17455989

  6. A study of intelligence and personality in children with simple obesity.

    PubMed

    Li, X

    1995-05-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate differences in measures of intelligence and personality between obese and normal-weight children. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale (IQ) for Children (revised) and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) were administered to 102 children with simple obesity and their controls in a case-controlled design. The mean age of the children was 9.8 years and they all attended primary school in Nanjing, PRC. It was found that children in the severe obesity category (> 50% overweight) had a significantly lower performance IQ score than the controls, and a significantly higher EPQ psychoticism score. These differences were not observed in children with milder degrees of obesity.

  7. Effects of obesity and obesity-induced stress on depressive symptoms in Korean elementary school children.

    PubMed

    Park, Chul-Min; Kim, Moon-Doo; Hong, Seong-Chul; Kim, Yeol; Hyun, Mi-Youl; Kwak, Young-Sook; Lee, Chang-In; Park, Min-Jeong; Jang, Yun-Hee; Moon, Ji-Hyun; Seok, Eun-Mi; Song, Young-Ja; Hyeon Ju Kim

    2009-07-01

    Obesity is becoming prevalent in Korean children. Because body image is becoming increasingly important, it is likely that obesity-induced stress has a significant effect on childhood depression. To examine the correlation between obesity-induced stress and depressive symptoms in Korean elementary school students. The study participants were 2,305 elementary school children and their parents in the districts of Jeju-si, Seogwipo-si, Namjeju-gun and Bukjeju-gun on Jeju Island, Korea, who completed questionnaires involving demographic information, an obesity-induced stress scale and the Korean form of Kovacs' Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) from September to December 2006. After controlling for significant independent variables that are wellknown correlates of depressive symptoms in children (e.g. age, gender, residence, family monthly income, obesity status of both parents, family history of chronic illness, and time spent with mother), obesity-induced stress had an odds ratio of 1.128 (95% CI 1.111-1.146). Reducing the prevalence of depressive symptoms in elementary school children in Jeju Island will require special attention, particularly the development of coping strategies to resolve obesity-induced stress in various areas including school, family and society.

  8. Examining the relationship between obesity and math performance among Canadian school children: a prospective analysis.

    PubMed

    Carter, Megan Ann; Dubois, Lise; Ramsay, Tim

    2010-10-01

    To determine whether obesity during the pre-school to primary school years was related to math performance, independently of other factors, in a large representative sample of Canadian children. Our main hypothesis was that obese children would obtain lower overall math scores than their non-obese peers. Participants of the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth comprised the sample for our analysis (n = 4 664). Obesity was based on mother-reported height and weight and IOTF age- and sex-specific body mass index cut-offs, and was assessed when the cohort was aged 2-5 years and 8-11 years. Children were classified as 'never obese', 'grew out of obesity', 'developed obesity' or 'always obese', depending on their obesity status at these two time points. The outcome was performance on a standardized math test that was administered when the cohort was aged 8-11 years. Statistical analysis was conducted using multivariate linear regression methods. Children who 'grew out of obesity' scored on average 11 points higher on the math test (p<0.0001) than children who were 'never obese.' Children who were 'always obese' and those that 'developed obesity' performed no differently on the math test than children who were 'never obese'. No interactions between sex and obesity status were found. Childhood obesity in this study did not lead to poor math performance. Being obese in the pre-school years and normal weight in primary school, however, was associated with improved math performance. This finding points to a potential nutritional window for early child development.

  9. Prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity from four to 16 years old children living in the Mexico-USA border.

    PubMed

    Bacardí-Gascón, Montserrat; Jones, Elizabeth G; Jiménez-Cruz, Arturo

    2013-01-01

    The prevalence of obesity among Mexicans is alarming in both the child and adult populations. The objective of this study was to determine the levels of overweight, obesity and abdominal obesity in pre-school (PS), elementary (ES), and middle high (MHS) public school children from Tijuana. From February to April of 2011, a bietapic random sample was selected by cluster method of 30 PS, 30 ES, and 30 MHS children. And a sample of 30 groups for each level was chosen. Twenty elementary teachers and eight graduate students were trained at one central location on how to take anthropometric measurements using a portable scale, a stadiometer, and a measuring tape to determine weight, height, and waist circumference. Body Mass Index values were computed and compared to age/gender BMI percentiles according to WHO criteria. Waist circumference for-age at the 90th percentile from NHANES III (Mexican-American) was used to define abdominal obesity. The sample was composed of 646 PS children, 961 ES children, and 1,095 MHS children. Their ages ranged from 4- 16 years. Results showed an overall prevalence of overweight and obesity in younger than 5y preschool children (> 2 SD) of 23.1%, in ≥ 5 y PS (> 1 SD) of 33.8%, in ES children of 46.3%, and in MHS children of 41.9%. Abdominal obesity in PS children was 18%, in ES children was 16.7%, and in MHS children was 15.2%. These results warrant immediate and comprehensive actions to prevent a critical public health problem in Mexico. Copyright © AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2013. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

  10. Prevalence of obesity in children aged 6-12 years in Greece: nutritional behaviour and physical activity

    PubMed Central

    Kyriazis, Ioannis; Rekleiti, Maria; Saridi, Maria; Beliotis, Emmanouil; Toska, Aikaterini; Souliotis, Kyriakos

    2012-01-01

    Introduction During the last two decades, obesity has proved to be one of the most important problems of public health, and it is considerably more frequent in developed countries, not only in adults, but in children, too. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children. Material and methods Two thousand three hundred and seventy-four pupils in primary education were considered for the study (1206 boys and 1168 girls). Results In the population-based study, the proportion of overweight children was 23.9%, of obese children 7.3%, and of those with central obesity 35.5%. The boys were obese in a higher percentage than the girls (9.2% vs. 5.3%, p < 0.05). The obesity rates were gradually reduced as the children were growing older. The nutritional habits which were identified to have a positive association with obesity were the following: skipping breakfast, not consuming fruits and vegetables, and consuming bread and soft drinks. Children's healthy nutrition in school was related to lower rates of generalised and central obesity, while the hours spent watching TV were positively associated with all types of obesity. Conclusions Results from the study suggest that a high proportion of children are overweight or obese. Therefore, it is important to adhere to a healthy lifestyle which emphasizes healthy food choices and habits, regular physical activity, and limiting screen time. PMID:23185196

  11. [Excess weight and abdominal obesity in Galician children and adolescents].

    PubMed

    Pérez-Ríos, Mónica; Santiago-Pérez, María Isolina; Leis, Rosaura; Martínez, Ana; Malvar, Alberto; Hervada, Xurxo; Suanzes, Jorge

    2017-12-06

    The excess of weight, mainly obesity, during childhood and adolescence increases morbimortality risk in adulthood. The aim of this article is to estimate both the overall prevalence, as well as according to age and gender, of underweight, overweight, obesity and abdominal obesity among schoolchildren aged between 6-15-years-old in the school year 2013-2014. Data were taken from a cross-sectional community-based study carried out on a representative sample, by gender and age, of the Galician population aged between 6 and 15 years-old. The prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obese children (Cole's cut-off criteria) and abdominal obesity (Taylor's cut-off criteria) were estimated after performing objective measurements of height, weight and waist circumference at school. A total of 7,438 students were weighed and measured in 137 schools. The prevalence of overweight and obese individuals was 24.9% and 8.2%, respectively. The prevalence of abdominal obesity was 25.8%, with 4% of children with normal weight having abdominal obesity. These data highlight the need to promote primary prevention measures at early ages in order to decrease the occurrence of the premature onset of disease in the future. The prevalence of excess weight is underestimated if abdominal obesity is not taken into consideration. Copyright © 2017. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.

  12. Obesity among Latino children within a migrant farmworker community.

    PubMed

    Rosado, Javier I; Johnson, Suzanne Bennett; McGinnity, Kelly A; Cuevas, Jordan P

    2013-03-01

    Childhood obesity has increased substantially among Latino children, placing them at risk for its related health consequences. Limited attention has been given to childhood obesity among Latino migrant farm-working communities. To examine, within a migrant farm-working community, (1) the prevalence of obesity among Latino children and parents and (2) parent perceptions of children's weight status and intentions to take corrective action. Structured interviews were completed with the parents of 495 children seen for well-child office visits in the pediatric department of a community health center during a 15-month period between 2010 and 2011. Medical chart reviews were completed for each child participant. Forty-seven percent of the children were overweight (20%) or obese (27%). In comparison to preschool-aged children, those in elementary and middle school were more likely to be obese. In elementary school, girls were more likely than boys to be overweight or obese. Child obesity was associated with parent obesity. Parental concern about their child's weight was associated with child obesity but not with child overweight. Parental concern was associated with parent intention to address the child's weight, particularly in older children. Analysis was completed in 2012. Interventions are needed that address both childhood obesity and parent weight status among Latino migrant farmworkers. Prevention programs that address the weight status of Latino children who are overweight, but not necessarily obese, are also needed, as their parents tend to be no more concerned about a child who is overweight than one who is normal weight. Copyright © 2013 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Children's perception on obesity and quality of life: a Mexican survey.

    PubMed

    Rendón-Macías, Mario-Enrique; Rosas-Vargas, Haydeé; Villasís-Keever, Miguel-Ángel; Pérez-García, Celia

    2014-05-29

    Child obesity has become a major health problem worldwide. In order to design successful intervention strategies, it is necessary to understand how children perceive obesity and its consequences. With the aim to evaluate scholar children perception of obesity as a significant factor on the quality of life, we developed and validated the "Obesity impact on the quality of life perception-questionnaire" (ObI-Q). We surveyed 1335 healthy children aged 6-12 years, randomly selected from elementary schools in Mexico City. The ObI-Q comprises eight multiple-choice items that explore aspects related to the quality of life during adult life; such as health, life span, emotional status, lifestyle, social recognition and economic status. In order to identify perceptional modifier factors, results were analyzed through multivariable logistic regression. Variables included gender, age, and child nutritional status, as well as the child's perception of parental nutritional status. ObI-Q results showed that most children (64.71%) considered obesity as a negative condition that influences health and social performance. This perception was inversely related to age (OR = 0.64, p = 0.003), as well as to the perception of their mother nutritional status (OR = 0.47, p = 0.01). This study provides an overview of children's perception on obesity and its consequences. Because the high proportion of schoolchildren who do not view obesity as an adverse consequence to the quality of life, then the results of this study could be used as part of strategies for the prevention of overweight and obesity.

  14. Obstructive sleep apnea in obese community-dwelling children: the NANOS study.

    PubMed

    Alonso-Álvarez, María Luz; Cordero-Guevara, José Aurelio; Terán-Santos, Joaquin; Gonzalez-Martinez, Mónica; Jurado-Luque, María José; Corral-Peñafiel, Jaime; Duran-Cantolla, Joaquin; Kheirandish-Gozal, Leila; Gozal, David

    2014-05-01

    Obesity in children is assumed to serve as a major risk factor in pediatric obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). However, the prevalence of OSAS in otherwise healthy obese children from the community is unknown. To determine the prevalence of OSAS in obese children identified and recruited from primary care centers. A cross-sectional, prospective, multicenter study. Spanish children ages 3-14 y with a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to the 95th percentile for age and sex were randomly selected, and underwent medical history, snoring, and Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ) assessments, as well as physical examination, nasopharyngoscopy, and nocturnal polysomnography (NPSG) recordings. Two hundred forty-eight children (54.4% males) with mean age of 10.8 ± 2.6 y were studied with a BMI of 28.0 ± 4.7 kg/m(2) corresponding to 96.8 ± 0.6 percentile when adjusted for age and sex. The mean respiratory disturbance index (RDI), obstructive RDI (ORDI), and obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (OAHI) were 5.58 ± 9.90, 5.06 ± 9.57, and 3.39 ± 8.78/h total sleep time (TST), respectively. Using ≥ 3/h TST as the cutoff for the presence of OSAS, the prevalence of OSAS ranged from 21.5% to 39.5% depending on whether OAHI, ORDI, or RDI were used. The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in obese children from the general population is high. Obese children should be screened for the presence of OSAS. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01322763.

  15. Overweight and Obesity among Children with Developmental Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    De, Sukanya; Small, Jacqueline; Baur, Louise A.

    2008-01-01

    Background: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children with developmental disabilities attending a metropolitan Diagnosis and Assessment Service. Method: A retrospective chart review was carried out for 98 children (67 male) aged 2-18 years. Data on age, sex, weight, height, and severity of…

  16. Serum trace elements in obese Egyptian children: a case–control study

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background To date, only a few studies on child obesity concerned Trace Elements (TE). TE is involved in the pathogenesis of obesity and obesity related diseases. We tried to assess trace elements status [zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), selenium (Se), iron (Fe), and chromium (Cr)] in obese Egyptian children and their relationships with serum leptin and metabolic risk factors of obesity. Methods This was a case–control study performed with 80 obese children (BMI ≥ 95thcentile for age and gender) and 80 healthy non-obese children with comparable age and gender as the control group. For all subjects, serum Zn, Cu, Se, Fe, ferritin and Cr as well as biochemical parameters including lipid profile, serum glucose and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were assessed. Levels of serum leptin were measured by (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] method), and serum insulin was measured by an electrochemiluminesce immunoassay. Results Compared to the control group, serum Zn, Se, and Fe levels were significantly lower (all P < 0.01) and serum Cu level was significantly higher (P < 0.01) in the obese children. Meanwhile, no significant differences were observed in serum ferritin or Cr levels (P > 0.05). A significant negative correlation was found between serum leptin and zinc levels in the obese children (r = −0.746; P < 0.01). Further, serum Zn showed significant negative correlations with total cholesterol TC levels (P < 0.05) and were positively correlated with high density lipoprotein- cholesterol HDL-C levels (P < 0.01) in the obese children. In addition, serum Se levels showed significant positive correlations with HOMA-IR values in the obese children (P < 0.01). Conclusion The obese children may be at a greater risk of developing imbalance (mainly deficiency) of trace elements which may be playing an important role in the pathogenesis of obesity and related metabolic risk factors. PMID:24555483

  17. The evolution of mothers’ beliefs about overweight and obesity in their early school age children

    PubMed Central

    Pesch, Megan H.; Meixner, Kaitlin A.; Appugliese, Danielle P.; Rosenblum, Katherine L.; Miller, Alison L; Lumeng, Julie C.

    2016-01-01

    OBJECTIVE To identify changes in maternal beliefs, concerns and perspectives about overweight and obesity in their children over a two year period. METHODS A total of 37 low-income English speaking mothers of overweight or obese children participated in two semi-structured interviews, separated by about two years, (mean child age was 5.9 years at baseline and 8.2 years at follow-up). Mother and child anthropometrics were obtained and mothers completed demographic questionnaires at both time points. Mothers’ interviews were analyzed using the constant comparative method for longitudinal patterns of change in their perspectives on childhood obesity across the two time points. RESULTS Six longitudinal patterns of change in mothers’ perspectives and beliefs were identified: 1) mothers’ identification of a weight problem in their child emerges gradually, 2) mothers’ level of concern about their child overeating increases, 3) mothers’ concerns about consequences of obesity intensify and change over time, 4) mothers feel less control over their child’s eating and weight, 5) mothers’ efforts to manage eating and weight become more intentional and 6) mothers are more likely to initiate conversations about weight as their child gets older. CONCLUSIONS In this study, mothers’ concerns about children’s weight and eating habits increased and reported weight management strategies became more intentional over a two year period. Further research should consider attending to maternal perspectives on child weight and eating and their evolution in the development of family based interventions for childhood obesity. PMID:27045463

  18. Secular trends of obesity prevalence in Chinese children from 1985 to 2010: Urban-rural disparity.

    PubMed

    Song, Yi; Ma, Jun; Wang, Hai-Jun; Wang, Zhiqiang; Hu, Peijin; Zhang, Bing; Agard, Anette

    2015-02-01

    To examine the trend of urban-rural disparity in obesity prevalence among Chinese children from 1985 to 2010. The data were from five cross-sectional surveys (1985, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010) of Chinese National Surveys on Students' Constitution and Health. Logistic regression was used to estimate the prevalence odds ratio (POR) of urban-rural areas for obesity prevalence in different surveys. The standardized prevalence of obesity in Chinese children increased rapidly from 0.1% in 1985 to 5.0% in 2010, and significant differences were found between two adjacent surveys in most of the age subgroups (P<0.01). Although the obesity prevalence was significantly higher in urban than in rural children of all age subgroups at different survey points, the changing pace was faster in rural than in urban areas from 1995 to 2010. The PORs had increased in 1995 in most age subgroups and then began to decline in all age subgroups after 1995. The gradually decreasing urban-rural disparity suggests that the obesity prevalence in rural areas would contribute to a growing proportion of obese children. Therefore, rural children should be included in obesity prevention efforts even though obesity rates are still lower in rural than in urban areas. © 2014 The Obesity Society.

  19. Healthy for Now? A Cross-Sectional Study of the Comorbidities in Obese Preschool Children in the United States

    PubMed Central

    Skinner, Asheley Cockrell; Perrin, Eliana M.; Steiner, Michael J.

    2010-01-01

    Objective Examine health of preschoolers by BMI status. Methods A cross-sectional analysis of children 3 to 5 years old in the 1999–2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was carried out. The measured age- and sex-specific BMI percentiles were used to categorize children as very obese, obese, overweight, or healthy weight. The authors used logistic regression to examine the effect of weight status on 17 available measures of current child health potentially related to obesity. Results Except for very obese children, weight status had minimal effect on most measures of health for preschool-aged children (n = 2792). Parents of very obese children reported poorer general health and more activity limitations for their children. Additionally, very obese girls had more frequent/severe headaches, and overweight/obese boys had more asthma diagnoses. Conclusions Only severe obesity appears consistently related to immediate health problems in preschool-aged children. Parental perception that very obese children have worse health and more activity limitations may lead to decreases in physical activity, which would perpetuate obesity. PMID:20308197

  20. Parental overweight/obesity, social factors, and child overweight/obesity at 7 years of age.

    PubMed

    Xu, Li; Dubois, Lise; Burnier, Daniel; Girard, Manon; Prud'homme, Denis

    2011-12-01

    This study used gender-based analyses to examine whether child overweight/obesity is related to parental overweight/obesity and sociodemographic factors, in a representative population-based cohort of 7-year-old children. Data from the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development 1998-2010 was used. Children (n= 1336) were randomly selected from each public health region of Québec. The study was based on face-to-face interviews and a set of questionnaires addressed to mothers and fathers. Compared to children with no overweight/obese parent, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) of being overweight/obese with two overweight/obese parents was 5 for boys (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.31-10.85) and 5.87 for girls (95%CI: 2.63-13.12). Gender differences appeared when one parent was overweight/obese. For girls, having either an overweight/obese mother (OR, 3.10; 95%CI: 1.14-8.38) or father (OR, 3.64; 95%CI: 1.68-7.91) significantly increased the odds of being overweight/obese at 7 years. For boys, however, having only an overweight/obese father (OR, 2.05; 95%CI: 1.01-4.16) was related to overweight/obesity, but having only an overweight/obese mother was not related to overweight/obesity at 7 years for boys. In girls, but not in boys, having an immigrant mother also significantly related to overweight/obesity (OR, 2.71; 95%CI: 1.28-5.75) at 7 years, after controlling for other social factors. Gender differences in socialization may explain why at 7 years of age, girls' bodyweight is influenced by having even one overweight/obese parent (mother or father), while boys' bodyweight appears to be influenced only by father's overweight/obesity when only one parent is overweight/obese. © 2011 The Authors. Pediatrics International © 2011 Japan Pediatric Society.

  1. [Obesity associated metabolic impairment is evident at early ages: Spanish collaborative study].

    PubMed

    Martos-Moreno, Gabriel Á; Gil-Campos, Mercedes; Bueno, Gloria; Bahillo, Pilar; Bernal, Susana; Feliu, Albert; Lechuga-Sancho, Alfonso M; Palomo, Enrique; Ruiz, Rafael; Vela, Amaia

    2014-10-01

    The objectives of this study are to provide a description of the demographic, anthropometric characteristics and metabolic abnormalities in children with early-onset (< 10 years) and of very-early-onset obesity (< 5 years). We also evaluate the diagnostic ability using the definition of metabolic syndrome (MS) according to different criteria. It is a retrospective, case-control, cross-sectional, multicenter study. A total of 10 Pediatric Endocrinology Units in different Spanish hospitals were involved. A group of 469 children with early-onset obesity and another group of 30 children with very early-onset obesity were studied. The control group consisted of 224 healthy children younger than 10 years. Anthropometric and analytical determination of carbohydrates metabolism parameters and the lipid profile were performed. The presence of metabolic alterations associated with obesity in children and adolescents in Spain is remarkable, either on their own, or encompassed within the definition of MS. This prevalence increases substantially when considering the peripheral resistance to insulin action as a diagnostic criterion. It also shows how children who could not be diagnosed with MS according to the definition provided by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) due to age below 10 years, these alterations are already present in a remarkable percentage. In fact, metabolic abnormalities are already present in the very-early-onset obese children ( <5 years). In Spanish children there are metabolic alterations associated with obesity in the infant-juvenile stages alone or encompassed within the definition of MS,and are already present at earlier ages. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

  2. Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescents

    PubMed Central

    Koyuncuoğlu Güngör, Neslihan

    2014-01-01

    Obesity among children, adolescents and adults has emerged as one of the most serious public health concerns in the 21st century. The worldwide prevalence of childhood obesity has increased remarkably over the past 3 decades. The growing prevalence of childhood obesity has also led to appearance of obesity-related comorbid disease entities at an early age. Childhood obesity can adversely affect nearly every organ system and often causes serious consequences, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, dysglycemia, fatty liver disease and psychosocial complications. It is also a major contributor to increasing healthcare expenditures. For all these reasons, it is important to prevent childhood obesity as well as to identify overweight and obese children at an early stage so they can begin treatment and attain and maintain a healthy weight. At present, pharmacotherapy options for treatment of pediatric obesity are very limited. Therefore, establishing a comprehensive management program that emphasizes appropriate nutrition, exercise and behavioral modification is crucial. The physician’s role should expand beyond the clinical setting to the community to serve as a role model and to advocate for prevention and early treatment of obesity. PMID:25241606

  3. Socioeconomic determinants of childhood obesity among primary school children in Guangzhou, China.

    PubMed

    Liu, Weijia; Liu, Wei; Lin, Rong; Li, Bai; Pallan, Miranda; Cheng, K K; Adab, Peymane

    2016-06-08

    Socioeconomic inequalities in childhood obesity prevalence differ according to a country's stage of nutrition transition. The aim of this study was to determine which socioeconomic factors influence inequalities in obesity prevalence in Chinese primary school children living in an urban setting. We assessed obesity prevalence among 9917 children aged 5-12 years from a stratified random sample of 29 state-funded (residents) and private (migrants) schools in Guangzhou, China. Height and weight were objectively measured using standardised methods and overweight (+1 SD < BMI-for-age z-score ≤ +2 SD) and obesity (BMI-for-age z-score > +2 SD) were defined using the World Health Organisation reference 2007. Socioeconomic characteristics were ascertained through parental questionnaires. Generalised Linear Mixed Models with schools as a random effect were used to compare likelihood of overweight/obesity among children in private, with public schools, adjusting for child age and sex, maternal and paternal BMI and education level, and household per-capita income. The prevalence of overweight/obesity was 20.0 % (95 % CI 19.1 %-20.9 %) in resident compared with 14.3 % (95 % CI 13.0 %-15.4 %) in migrant children. In the adjusted model, the odds of overweight/obesity remained higher among resident children (OR 1.36; 1.16-1.59), was higher in boys compared with girls (OR 2.56; 2.24-2.93), and increased with increasing age (OR 2.78; 1.95-3.97 in 11-12 vs 5-6 year olds), per-capita household income (OR 1.27; 1.01-1.59 in highest vs lowest quartile) and maternal education (OR 1.51; 1.16-1.97 in highest vs lowest). Socioeconomic differences were most marked in older boys, and were only statistically significant in resident children. The socioeconomic gradient for childhood obesity in China is the reverse of the patterns seen in countries at more advanced stages of the obesity epidemic. This presents an opportunity to intervene and prevent the onset of

  4. High Maternal Body Mass Index Is Associated with an Early-Onset of Overweight/Obesity in Pre-School-Aged Children in Malawi. A Multilevel Analysis of the 2015-16 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey.

    PubMed

    Ntenda, Peter Austin Morton; Mhone, Thomas Gabriel; Nkoka, Owen

    2018-05-25

    Overweight/obesity in young children is one of the most serious public health issues globally. We examined whether individual- and community-level maternal nutritional status is associated with an early onset of overweight/obesity in pre-school-aged children in Malawi. Data were obtained from the 2015-16 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS). The maternal nutritional status as body mass index and childhood overweight/obesity status was assessed by using the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. To examine whether the maternal nutritional status is associated with overweight/obesity in pre-school-aged children, two-level multilevel logistic regression models were constructed on 4023 children of age less than five years dwelling in 850 different communities. The multilevel regression analysis showed that children born to overweight/obese mothers had increased odds of being overweight/obese [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 3.11; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.13-8.54]. At the community level, children born to mothers from the middle (aOR: 1.68; 95% CI: 1.02-2.78) and high (aOR: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.00-2.90) percentage of overweight/obese women had increased odds of being overweight/obese. In addition, there were significant variations in the odds of childhood overweight/obesity in the communities. Strategies aimed at reducing childhood overweight/obesity in Malawi should address not only women and their children but also their communities. Appropriate choices of nutrition, diet and physical activity patterns should be emphasized upon in overweight/obese women of childbearing age throughout pregnancy and beyond.

  5. The impact of age and sex adjusted body mass index (ISO-BMI) in obese versus non-obese children and adolescents with cholecystectomy.

    PubMed

    Kiuru, Eveliina; Kokki, Hannu; Juvonen, Petri; Lintula, Hannu; Paajanen, Hannu; Gissler, Mika; Eskelinen, Matti

    2014-01-01

    The impact of the age and sex adjusted body mass index (ISO-BMI) in the obese vs. non-obese children and adolescents with cholecystectomy for cholelithias is rarely reported. The national database was searched for cholecystectomies performed in paediatric patients between 1997 and 2011, and the 59 paediatric and adolescent patients having cholecystectomy in the Kuopio University Hospital district were divided in two groups by age and sex adjusted BMI (ISO-BMI) using the cut-off point of overweight (ISO-BMI 25 kg/m(2)) based on the Finnish growth standards. Nationwide a total of 840 cholecystectomies were performed during the 15 years study period in Finland, most of which included females (77%), resulting in a mean of annual frequency of 4.8 (range: 3.9-6.1) procedures/100,000 population. In the study sample, most of the patients with the cholelithiasis were female (50/59, 85%). The gender distribution was equal among the younger patients, but among adolescents 6/52 (12%) of the patients with cholelithiasis were boys and 46/52 (88%) of the patients with cholelithiasis were girls. Obesity did not affect on operative parameters. The median operative time was 70 min (range, 30-155) and 66 min (44-130) in the high ISO-BMI-group. The recovery was similar in the two groups: the median length of hospital stay was 4 days in both groups. The patients in the low ISO-BMI-group vs. high ISO-BMI-group had a trend of higher serum bilirubin (p=0.16) and serum AFOS values (p=0.19). In the histological examination of the gallbladders 19/28 (68%) patients in the low ISO-BMI-group had inflammation vs. 26/31 (84%) patients in the high ISO-BMI-group (p=0.15). Our results between obese and non-obese children and adolescents with cholelithiasis are not statistically significant. The obese adolescents with female gender are in greater risk for cholelithiasis. Copyright © 2014 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

  6. Characteristics of Very Young Hispanic Children Referred for Obesity Management

    PubMed Central

    Aguayo, Liliana; Olave-Pichon, Alicia; Ariza, Adolfo J.; Binns, Helen J.

    2017-01-01

    Information on risks associated with obesity during infancy specific to Hispanic children is scarce. This retrospective medical record review describes characteristics and parenting practices of Hispanic children age <2 years referred for obesity care at a tertiary hospital over a 6-year period. Data on 29 Hispanic children collected from parent-completed assessment forms and clinician documentation were analyzed. Children were of mean age 16.2 ± 4.9 months; body mass index z scores ranged from 1.5 to 9.4 (mean 4.5 ± 1.7); 45% were male; 97% received public insurance; 38% were breastfed ≥6 months; and 93% had a parent who was overweight or obese. Parenting practices included bottle feeding in bed (50%), regularly drinking sweetened beverages (33%), ≥2 hours of screen time (60%), and having a TV in child’s bedroom (55%). Better understanding of factors that contribute to the development of rapid weight gain of Hispanic children can inform future clinical and public health interventions. PMID:29147676

  7. The effect of body mass index on blood pressure varies by race among obese children.

    PubMed

    Hannon, Tamara S; Gupta, Sandeep; Li, Zhuokai; Eckert, George; Carroll, Aaron E; Pratt, J Howard; Tu, Wanzhu

    2015-05-01

    Previous studies have shown that the effect of adiposity on blood pressure (BP) intensifies as children become increasingly obese. Black children tend to have greater body mass index (BMI) and higher BP than age-matched white children. It is unclear whether the BP effects of BMI are race-specific among black and white children, and data on obese Hispanic children are sparse. We compared the BP effect of BMI in obese white, black, and Hispanic children. We examined the medical records of children enrolled in a pediatric obesity clinic. Height, weight, BP, and fasting insulin were assessed as part of routine clinical care. The concurrent effects of age and BMI on BP percentile values were examined using semiparametric regression, which allows the accommodation of nonlinear effects. The study included 873 children (338 male; 354 black, 447 white, 72 Hispanic; 11.7±3.5 years, BMI 36.2±8.5 kg/m2). While BMI Z-scores were similar among the groups, systolic BP (SBP) was higher in black children and Hispanic children (white: 107 mm Hg; black: 112 mm Hg; Hispanic: 112 mm Hg; p=0.0001). Age, sex, and height-adjusted SBP percentiles were significantly different among the three groups (white: 50; black: 59; Hispanic: 59; p=0.0006). In children of the same age, BP was higher at any given BMI in black children and Hispanic children. Among children referred for treatment of obesity, black children and Hispanic children are at a greater risk for having elevated BP when compared to white children of similar age and BMI.

  8. What Proportion of Preschool-Aged Children Consume Sweetened Beverages?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nickelson, Jen; Lawrence, Jeannine C.; Parton, Jason M.; Knowlden, Adam P.; McDermott, Robert J.

    2014-01-01

    Background: Obesity affects nearly 17% of US children and youth 2-19?years old and 10% of infants and toddlers under the age of 2?years. One strategy for addressing obesity is to discourage sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption. Compared with their older school-aged counterparts, children =5?years depend largely on parents for the purchase…

  9. Determining rates of overweight and obese status in children using electronic medical records: Cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Birken, Catherine S; Tu, Karen; Oud, William; Carsley, Sarah; Hanna, Miranda; Lebovic, Gerald; Guttmann, Astrid

    2017-02-01

    To determine the prevalence of overweight and obese status in children by age, sex, and visit type, using data from EMRALD ® (Electronic Medical Record Administrative data Linked Database). Heights and weights were abstracted for children 0 to 19 years of age who had at least one well-child visit from January 2010 to December 2011. Using the most recent visit, the proportions and 95% CIs of patients defined as overweight and obese were compared by age group, sex, and visit type using the World Health Organization growth reference standards. Ontario. Children 0 to 19 years of age who were rostered to a primary care physician participating in EMRALD and had at least one well-child visit from January 2010 to December 2011. Proportion and 95% CI of children with overweight and obese status by age group; proportion of children with overweight and obese status by sex (with male sex as the referent) within each age group; and proportion of children with overweight and obese status at the most recent well-child visit type compared with other visit types by age group. There were 28 083 well-child visits during this period. For children who attended well-child visits, 84.7% of visits had both a height and weight documented. Obesity rates were significantly higher in 1- to 4-year-olds compared with children younger than 1 (6.1% vs 2.3%; P < .001), and in 10- to 14-year-olds compared with 5- to 9-year-olds (12.0% vs 9.0%; P < .05). Both 1- to 4-year-old boys (7.2% vs 4.9%; P < .01) and 10- to 14-year-old boys (14.5% vs 9.6%; P < .05) had higher obesity rates compared with girls. Rates of overweight and obese status were lower using data from well-child visits compared with other visits. Electronic medical records might be useful to conduct population-based surveillance of overweight or obese status in children. Methodologic standards, however, should be developed. Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

  10. There's something about obesity: culture, contagion, rationality, and children's responses to drinks "created" by obese children.

    PubMed

    Klaczynski, Paul A

    2008-01-01

    Theories of the development of obesity stereotypes cannot easily explain the stigma associated with being obese. Evidence that important similarities exist between the symptoms of obesity and contagious illnesses, young children have "theories" of illnesses, and obesity stereotypes are among the earliest that children develop led to the hypothesis that children would find beverages purportedly created by obese children less tasteful and more memorable than beverages created by average weight children. After assignment to two story conditions in which a child became ill after eating an unfamiliar food, Caucasian-American and Chinese 7- and 10-year-olds sampled identically flavored "obese-created" and "average-created" beverages. Taste ratings were lower, ratings of the chances of feeling sick were higher, and memory was superior for obese-created drinks than for average-created drinks, particularly when the character in the story contracted a contagious illness and memory was scored for "gist." Finally, children often created the false memory that the story character was an obese beverage creator. The roles of contagion and magical beliefs are discussed, as are the rationality of children's responses and the relevance of the findings for theories of obesity stereotypes.

  11. Can the relationship between ethnicity and obesity-related behaviours among school-aged children be explained by deprivation? A cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Falconer, Catherine L; Park, Min Hae; Croker, Helen; Kessel, Anthony S; Saxena, Sonia; Viner, Russell M; Kinra, Sanjay

    2014-01-09

    It is unclear whether cultural differences or material disadvantage explain the ethnic patterning of obesogenic behaviours. The aim of this study was to examine ethnicity as a predictor of obesity-related behaviours among children in England, and to assess whether the effects of ethnicity could be explained by deprivation. Five primary care trusts in England, 2010-2011. Parents of white, black and South Asian children aged 4-5 and 10-11 years participating in the National Child Measurement Programme (n=2773). Parent-reported measures of child behaviour: low level of physical activity, excessive screen time, unhealthy dietary behaviours and obesogenic lifestyle (combination of all three obesity-related behaviours). Associations between these behaviours and ethnicity were assessed using logistic regression analyses. South Asian ethnic groups made up 22% of the sample, black ethnic groups made up 8%. Compared with white children, higher proportions of Asian and black children were overweight or obese (21-27% vs16% of white children), lived in the most deprived areas (24-47% vs 14%) and reported obesity-related behaviours (38% with obesogenic lifestyle vs 16%). After adjusting for deprivation and other sociodemographic characteristics, black and Asian children were three times more likely to have an obesogenic lifestyle than white children (OR 3.0, 95% CI 2.1 to 4.2 for Asian children; OR 3.4, 95% CI 2.7 to 4.3 for black children). Children from Asian and black ethnic groups are more likely to have obesogenic lifestyles than their white peers. These differences are not explained by deprivation. Culturally specific lifestyle interventions may be required to reduce obesity-related health inequalities.

  12. Trends of overweight and obesity among children in Tijuana, Mexico.

    PubMed

    Bacardi-Gascón, M; Jiménez-Cruz, A; Jones, E; Velasquez Perez, I; Loaiza Martinez, J A

    2009-01-01

    The objectives of this study were to compare the trends of obesity from 2001-02 to 2006-07 in school children of Tijuana, Mexico and to investigate the relationship with the child's gender and type of school attended. Bietapic random sample was selected by cluster of schools and groups. Results of the 1684 children from 6-14 years of age assessed showed an overall prevalence of obesity (> 95(th)) of 28%. An overall increase of overweight and obesity of 7-percentage points (p=0.0003), from 41 to 48%, being higher among boys and younger girls. Prevalence of obesity was higher among boys and children from private schools. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

  13. Motor fitness and preschooler children obesity status.

    PubMed

    Silva-Santos, Sandra; Santos, Amanda; Vale, Susana; Mota, Jorge

    2017-09-01

    The aim of this study was to examine the association between motor fitness (MF) and obesity status in preschool children. The sample comprised 467 children aged 3-6 years. Preschool children body mass index was classified according to International Obesity Task Force and categorised into three levels, normal, overweight and obesity. Total physical activity was assessed by accelerometer and MF test was assessed through two MF tests 10 × 5m shuttle run test (SRT) and a 7 m jumping distance on 2 feet test (J2F). Low MF was considered for MF if SD above 1. A single variable with three categories was created: low MF medium MF and high MF. The prevalence of normal weight, overweight and obesity was 67.6%, 22.7% and 9.7%, respectively. The prevalence of SD > 1 for SRT was 13.7% and 14.4% for J2F, for single variable was 19.2%. Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that obese preschoolers were more likely six times classified as having low MF level than their non-overweight counterparts (OR: 6.4; IC: 1.3-36.6). This study showed a considerable prevalence of overweight and obesity among preschoolers. Obesity has already been associated with lower MF. Further longitudinal studies are needed to confirm this data.

  14. Total Oxidant and Antioxidant Status in Prepubertal Children with Obesity.

    PubMed

    Rowicka, Grażyna; Dyląg, Hanna; Ambroszkiewicz, Jadwiga; Riahi, Agnieszka; Weker, Halina; Chełchowska, Magdalena

    2017-01-01

    Obesity is accompanied by the formation of oxygen free radicals, whose intensified activity without effective defense mechanisms can lead to oxidative stress and related complications. We evaluated the presence of oxidative stress in obese prepubertal children. The study included 83 healthy children aged 2-10 years (62 with obesity and 21 nonobese controls). Total oxidant capacity (TOC), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL), lipid parameters, glucose, and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured in serum. Oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated. Serum TOC concentration was significantly higher ( p < 0.05) and TAC concentration was lower ( p < 0.05) in obese children. OSI was higher ( p < 0.01) in obese subjects compared with controls. CRP levels were normal in all children, but median CRP value was higher ( p < 0.01) and HDL cholesterol levels were lower ( p < 0.05) in the obese group. We found a significant negative correlation between TAC and ox-LDL concentrations ( r = -0.27, p < 0.05) in obese children. Furthermore, obesity duration was positively correlated with TOC level ( r = 0.32, p < 0.05) in this group. Obesity-related oxidative stress already occurs in prepubescence. Early obesity diagnosis and the necessary therapeutic activity implementation is a vital strategy for the prophylaxis of free radical damage and related multiorgan complications.

  15. Increased deficits in emotion recognition and regulation in children and adolescents with exogenous obesity.

    PubMed

    Percinel, Ipek; Ozbaran, Burcu; Kose, Sezen; Simsek, Damla Goksen; Darcan, Sukran

    2018-03-01

    In this study we aimed to evaluate emotion recognition and emotion regulation skills of children with exogenous obesity between the ages of 11 and 18 years and compare them with healthy controls. The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Aged Children was used for psychiatric evaluations. Emotion recognition skills were evaluated using Faces Test and Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test. The Difficulties in Emotions Regulation Scale was used for evaluating skills of emotion regulation. Children with obesity had lower scores on Faces Test and Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, and experienced greater difficulty in emotional regulation skills. Improved understanding of emotional recognition and emotion regulation in young people with obesity may improve their social adaptation and help in the treatment of their disorder. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate both emotional recognition and emotion regulation functions in obese children and obese adolescents between 11 and 18 years of age.

  16. Prevalences of overweight and obesity among children in remote Aboriginal communities in central Australia.

    PubMed

    Schultz, Rosalie

    2012-01-01

    The chronic diseases associated with overweight and obesity are major contributors to the excess disease burden of Aboriginal Australians. Surveillance of overweight and obesity is required to monitor these conditions, and to develop and evaluate interventions to improve health and wellbeing. Remote Aboriginal communities in Australia's Northern Territory (NT) are where approximately two-thirds of the NT Aboriginal people live, a proportion which has been stable over many years. However the remote communities suffer significant socioeconomic disadvantage including limited education and employment opportunities, and poor quality and overcrowded housing. Approximately one-third of Aboriginal people in NT live in central Australia, which consists of the Alice Springs and Barkly districts. The Healthy School-Aged Kids Program includes health promotion and child health screening, and is run in remote Aboriginal communities of NT. This report provides estimates of prevalences of overweight and obesity among children in central Australia who participated in health checks as part of Healthy School-Aged Kids Program in 2010. All children in remote central Australian Aboriginal communities were invited to participate in health checks. Children who attended were weighed and measured. Date of birth, sex, height and weight for each child were used to determine prevalence of overweight (≥+1 standard deviation [SD] BMI-for-age) and obesity (≥+2 SD BMI-for-age) according to WHO Growth standards. Differences in proportions of overweight and obesity by age group and sex, and their statistical significance were calculated. Weight, height, sex and age data were available for 996 children from a population of 1764. It was found that 22.1% of girls and 20.7% of boys were overweight; and 5.1% of girls and 5.8% of boys were obese as defined by BMI-for-age. Prevalence of overweight but not obesity increased with age (for overweight z=3.28, p=0.0011; for obesity z=0.68; p=0.50). The

  17. Visual and brainstem auditory evoked potentials in children with obesity.

    PubMed

    Akın, Onur; Arslan, Mutluay; Akgün, Hakan; Yavuz, Süleyman Tolga; Sarı, Erkan; Taşçılar, Mehmet Emre; Ulaş, Ümit Hıdır; Yeşilkaya, Ediz; Ünay, Bülent

    2016-03-01

    The aim of our study is to investigate alterations in visual evoked potentials (VEP) and brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) in children with obesity. A total of 96 children, with a mean age of 12.1±2.0 years (range 9-17 years, 63 obese and 33 age and sex-matched control subjects) were included in the study. Laboratory tests were performed to detect insulin resistance (IR) and dyslipidemia. The latencies and amplitudes of VEP and BAEP were measured in healthy and obese subjects. The VEP P100, BAEP interpeak latency (IPL) I-III and IPL I-V averages of obese children were significantly longer than the control subjects. When the obese group was divided into two subgroups, those with IR and without IR, BAEP wave I, wave III and P100 wave latencies were found to be longer in the group with IR. A statistically significant correlation was observed between BAEP wave I latency, IPL I-V, IPL I-III and the homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA IR) index and fasting insulin level. Our findings suggest that VEP and BAEP can be used to determine early subclinical on auditory and visual functions of obese children with insulin resistance. Copyright © 2015 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Overweight and obesity in Brazilian schoolchildren aged 10 to 15 years: data from a Brazilian sports project.

    PubMed

    Pelegrini, Andreia; Petroski, Edio Luiz; Coqueiro, Raildo da Silva; Gaya, Adroaldo César Araujo

    2008-12-01

    The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Brazilian schoolchildren according to gender, age and geographic region. A descriptive association study was conducted on 36,976 schoolchildren (20,914 boys and 16,062 girls aged 10 to 15 years) between 2004 and 2005 using secondary data originating from a school-based cross-sectional epidemiological survey. The cut-off body mass index proposed by the International Obesity Task Force was used as diagnostic criterion for overweight and obesity. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 11.9% and 2.6%, respectively, with a higher proportion of overweight among girls and of obesity among boys. An association was observed between overweight, age and region, with the demonstration of higher odds ratios for overweight among children aged 10 to 13 years and children from the South, Center-West and Southeast regions. Obesity was significantly associated with gender, age and region, indicating higher odds ratios among boys, children aged 10 to 13 years and children from the South and Southeast regions. Although lower than that observed in most developed countries, the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Brazilian schoolchildren is a matter of concern. In this respect, health policies and strategies should take into account gender and age of the individuals and geographic region of the country.

  19. The high burden of obesity and abdominal obesity in urban Indian schoolchildren: a multicentric study of 38,296 children.

    PubMed

    Misra, Anoop; Shah, Priyali; Goel, Kashish; Hazra, Daya Kishore; Gupta, Rajeev; Seth, Payal; Tallikoti, Pooja; Mohan, Indu; Bhargava, Rooma; Bajaj, Sarita; Madan, Jagmeet; Gulati, Seema; Bhardwaj, Swati; Sharma, Rekha; Gupta, Nidhi; Pandey, Ravindra Mohan

    2011-01-01

    The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of overweight, obesity and abdominal obesity and their associated factors in a large sample of urban Indian schoolchildren. This is a cross-sectional study conducted in 5 cities in India. Height and weight were measured in 38,296 children and waist circumference was measured in 29,244 children aged 8-18 years. The prevalence was compared with respect to age, gender, type of school and city of residence. The mean ± standard deviation for age was 13.3 ± 2.4 years and 18.3 ± 4.3 kg/m(2) for BMI. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in 8- to 18-year-old children, respectively, was 14.4 and 2.8% by IOTF cutoffs, 14.5 and 4.8% by CDC cutoffs and 18.5 and 5.3% by WHO cutoffs. When applying the cutoffs specific for Indian ethnicity in 14- to 18-year-old children, the prevalence was higher (21.1 and 12.3%, respectively) as compared to the IOTF, WHO and CDC cutoffs. The overall prevalence of abdominal obesity in urban Indian schoolchildren was 4.5%. The prevalence of overweight and abdominal obesity was significantly higher in females than males (p < 0.001). High socioeconomic status and residing in cities with a population greater than 4 million were independently associated with overweight and abdominal obesity (p < 0.001). On extrapolating these data, more than 15 million children would currently be overweight and 4 million abdominally obese in urban India. There is a substantial burden of childhood obesity in India, which necessitates comprehensive urban-based campaigns for its prevention and control. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  20. Gender-based differences on the association between salt-sensitive genes and obesity in Korean children aged between 8 and 9 years.

    PubMed

    Lee, Myoungsook; Kim, Mi Kyung; Kim, Seon-Mee; Park, Hyesoon; Park, Chang Gyu; Park, Hye Kyung

    2015-01-01

    High sodium intake is associated with the development of chronic diseases such as obesity. Although its role in obesity remains controversial, there may be a correlation between salt sensitivity and the early onset of chronic diseases in obese children. In all, 2,163 Korean children (1,106 boys and 1,057 girls) aged 8-9 years were recruited from seven elementary schools in Seoul. To evaluate whether obesity risk was modulated by the salt sensitivity, 11 SNPs related to salt sensitive genes (SSG) became the target of sodium intakes in obese children. BP, HOMA-IR, LDLc, TG, and the girls' sodium intake significantly increased, but HDLc significantly decreased with increase in BMI. Regardless of sex, the obesity risk was 5.27-fold (CI; 1.320-27.560) higher in the Q2 to Q5 of sodium intake adjusted by energy (4044.9-5058.9 mg/day) than in the lowest Q1 level (2287.6 mg/day) in obese children. BP was sensitively dependent on insulin resistance and lipid accumulation in all subjects; however, sodium intake may be an independent risk factor of obesity without increasing BP in girls. GRK4 A486V mutant homozygote was highly distributed in the obese group, but other SNPs had no impact. The obesity risk increased 7.06, 16.8, and 46.09-fold more in boys with GRK4 A486V, ACE, and SLC12A3 mutants as sodium intake increased. Among girls, the obesity risk increased in GRK4 A486V heterozygote and CYP11β-2 mutant homozygote although sodium intake was relatively lower, implying that ACE, SLC12A, CYP11β-2, and GRK4 A486V polymorphisms showed gender-based differences with regard to interaction between sodium intake and obesity. A high sodium intake markedly increased the obesity risk in variants of GRK4 A486V regardless of sex. The obesity risk increased with GRK4 A486V, ACE, and SLC12A3 variants in boys, whereas it increased with GRK4 A486V and CYP11B2 variants in girls as sodium intake increased. Obese children with the specific gene variants are recommended to reduce their sodium

  1. Iron profile and dietary pattern of primary school obese Egyptian children.

    PubMed

    Abd-El Wahed, Mohamed A; Mohamed, Maha H; Ibrahim, Samia S; El-Naggar, Wafaa A

    2014-08-01

    Poor iron status affects billions of people worldwide. The prevalence of obesity continues to rise in both the developed and developing nations. An association between iron status and obesity has been described in children and adults. The aim of the study was to assess the iron profile and dietary pattern in primary school-aged obese Egyptian children. A case-control study was conducted on 120 children, both obese (n=60) and control group (n=60), recruited from three primary governmental schools located in Dokki Sector, El-Giza Governorate, Egypt. Their ages ranged from 6 to 12 years. All children were subjected to full medical and dietetic history, anthropometric measurements, thorough clinical examination, and determination of complete blood count, serum iron, total iron-binding capacity, transferrin saturation (TS), and ferritin. Despite similar dietary iron intake in the two groups, obese children showed highly significantly decreased hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, serum iron, and TS, and increased mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration and total iron-binding capacity when compared with the nonobese group. The obese group showed a highly significant increased rate of iron deficiency (ID) (TS<15% or mean corpuscular volume<76 fl) when compared with the nonobese group. Obesity was a significant risk factor for the development of ID (odds ratio: 7.09, 95% confidence interval: 3.16-15.92). The association between ID and obesity may have important public health and clinical implications. For primary school children with elevated BMIs, screening for ID should be considered. Increasing awareness of the importance of physical activity and carrying out nutritional education programs are required.

  2. Association of obesity with the prevalence of hypertension in school children from central Thailand.

    PubMed

    Rerksuppaphol, Sanguansak; Rerksuppaphol, Lakkana

    2015-01-01

    Obesity and underweight are both a public health concern worldwide. Being overweight, and obesity are primary risk factors for the development of chronic conditions including hypertension. Data on obesity and the underweight as well as their association with hypertension in Thai children, specifically, are scant. This study was aimed to assess the relationship between obesity or underweight status and hypertension in Thai school children. Anthropometric data were collected from 3991 students (mean age of 9.5 yr) in Ongkharak district, central Thailand. The sex as well as the age-specific BMI criteria of the WHO were used to define what is overweight, obesity, underweight and severe underweight status of children. In order to calculate the odds ratio and the association between one's nutritional status and hypertension logistic regression was used. Obese and overweight children have a higher prevalence of hypertension compared with children with an average weight (49.5% and 26.5% versus 16.2%, respectively). The risks of developing hypertension is also high in obese children (OR 5.15; 95%CI: 4.27, 6.22), overweight children (1.87; 95% CI: 1.50, 2.32) and overweight/obese children (OR 3.30; 95% CI: 2.82, 3.86. Additionally, underweight children were not associated with an increased risk of hypertension (OR 1.04; 95% CI: 0.72, 1.42). Rates of hypertension in overweight and obese children are high in central Thailand and, as a result, this increased body weight is a risk factor for hypertension. Larger, multi-centric studies are required to evaluate the correlation between hypertension and obesity amongst children at the national level.

  3. Cardiometabolic Risks and Severity of Obesity in Children and Young Adults.

    PubMed

    Skinner, Asheley C; Perrin, Eliana M; Moss, Leslie A; Skelton, Joseph A

    2015-10-01

    The prevalence of severe obesity among children and young adults has increased over the past decade. Although the prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors is relatively low among children and young adults who are overweight or obese, those with more severe forms of obesity may be at greater risk. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of data from overweight or obese children and young adults 3 to 19 years of age who were included in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 through 2012 to assess the prevalence of multiple cardiometabolic risk factors according to the severity of obesity. Weight status was classified on the basis of measured height and weight. We used standard definitions of abnormal values for total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, glycated hemoglobin, and fasting glucose and report the prevalence of abnormal values in children and young adults according to weight status. Among 8579 children and young adults with a body-mass index at the 85th percentile or higher (according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts), 46.9% were overweight, 36.4% had class I obesity, 11.9% had class II obesity, and 4.8% had class III obesity. Mean values for some, but not all, cardiometabolic variables were higher with greater severity of obesity in both male and female participants, and the values were higher in male participants than in female participants; for HDL cholesterol, the mean values were lower with greater severity of obesity. Multivariable models that controlled for age, race or ethnic group, and sex showed that the greater the severity of obesity, the higher the risks of a low HDL cholesterol level, high systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and high triglyceride and glycated hemoglobin levels. Severe obesity in children and young adults was associated with an increased prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors

  4. Blood pressure and arterial stiffness in obese children and adolescents.

    PubMed

    Hvidt, Kristian Nebelin

    2015-03-01

    Obesity, elevated blood pressure (BP) and arterial stiffness are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. A strong relationship exists between obesity and elevated BP in both children and adults. Obesity and elevated BP in childhood track into adult life increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease in adulthood. Ambulatory BP is the most precise measure to evaluate the BP burden, whereas carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) is regarded as the gold standard for evaluating arterial (i.e. aortic) stiffness. These measures might contribute to a better understanding of obesity's adverse impact on the cardiovascular system, and ultimately a better prevention and treatment of childhood obesity. The overall aim of the present PhD thesis is to investigate arterial stiffness and 24-hour BP in obese children and adolescents, and evaluate whether these measures are influenced by weight reduction. The present PhD thesis is based on four scientific papers.  In a cross-sectional design, 104 severe obese children and adolescents with an age of 10-18 years were recruited when newly referred to the Children's Obesity Clinic, Holbæk University Hospital, and compared to 50 normal weighted age and gender matched control individuals. Ambulatory BP was measured, and cfPWV was investigated in two ways in respect to the distance measure of aorta; the previously recommended length - the so called subtracted distance, and the currently recommended length - the direct distance. In a longitudinal design, the obese patients were re-investigated after one-year of lifestyle intervention at the Children's Obesity Clinic in purpose of reducing the degree of obesity. In the cross-sectional design, the obese group had higher measures of obesity, while matched for age, gender and height, when compared to the control group. In the longitudinal design, 74% of the 72 followed up obese patients experienced a significant weight reduction. CfPWV was dependent on the method used to measure the

  5. [Prevalence and trend of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents in Guangdong province, 2002-2012].

    PubMed

    Ji, G Y; Dun, Z J; Jiang, Q; Wen, J; Wang, P; Huang, R; Chen, Z H; Li, Z H; Ma, W J; Zhang, Y H

    2016-09-10

    Objective: To investigate the prevalence and trend of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents aged 6-17 years between 2002 and 2012 in Guangdong province. Methods: A total of 7 075 children and adolescents aged 6-17 years were selected in Guangdong for nutritional survey in 2002 and a total of 2 319 children and adolescents aged 6-17 years were selected in nine counties/districts of Guangdong for nutritional survey during 2009-2012 through multi-stage random cluster sampling. The body height and weight of all the children and adolescents were measured. Results: The result of 2009-2012 survey indicated the average prevalence of overweight and obesity in the children and adolescents surveyed were 7.3% and 4.5 %, respectively. The prevalence of overweight and obesity were higher in boys (8.9% and 6.5%) than in girls (5.3% and 2.2%), in rural area (9.3% and 5.6%) than in urban area (4.7% and 3.2%). Children and adolescents aged 9-11 years had a higher overweight and obesity rates compared with other age groups. Compared with 2002, except for obesity rate in urban girls, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents obviously increased. The increase rate was higher in rural area than urban area and in boys than in girls. Conclusions: Compared with 2002, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents in Guangdong obviously increased. The prevalence was much higher in boys, those living in rural area and those aged 9-11 years, thus more attention should be paid to them.

  6. Children with obesity: peer influence as a predictor of body dissatisfaction.

    PubMed

    Amaya-Hernández, Adriana; Ortega-Luyando, Mayaro; Bautista-Díaz, María Leticia; Alvarez-Rayón, Georgina L; Mancilla-Díaz, Juan Manuel

    2017-03-07

    To analyze self-esteem, as well as the different peer influence components (messages, interactions and likability) as predictors of body dissatisfaction in children with obesity. A total of 123 children aged between 10 and 12 years were divided into two groups according to their body mass index. The group with obesity was comprised of 36 boys and 21 girls and the group with normal weight of 32 boys and 34 girls. All of the participants answered the Body Shape Questionnaire-16, the Inventory of Peer Influence on Eating Concerns, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The hierarchical multiple regression analysis for each group showed that likability and peer messages explain 67% of the body dissatisfaction variance in children with obesity and 54% in children with normal weight. Peer influence predicted body dissatisfaction in children; however, children with obesity assimilate messages from their peers differently compared with children with normal weight.

  7. Arterial alterations in severely obese children with obstructive sleep apnoea.

    PubMed

    Dubern, Beatrice; Aggoun, Yacine; Boulé, Michèle; Fauroux, Brigitte; Bonnet, Damien; Tounian, Patrick

    2010-05-03

    Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in obese adults is associated with cardiovascular disease independently of obesity. Vascular alterations exist in children with obesity and may constitute the first stage in the development of adulthood cardiovascular disease. To investigate the relationship between OSA and early arterial alterations in obese children. Cross-sectional study of a prospective cohort. A total of 51 children with severe obesity managed at a teaching hospital outpatient clinic. Polysomnography was performed. We measured the intima-media thickness and incremental elastic modulus (Einc) to assess the mechanical characteristics of the common carotid artery. Arterial endothelial function was evaluated by measuring flow-mediated dilation and glyceryl trinitrate-mediated dilation (GTNMD) of the brachial artery. A total of 24 (47%) children had a desaturation index (DI) >10/h and 7 (14%) had a respiratory event index >10/h. DI >10/h was associated with significantly higher values of Einc (4.0 + or - 0.5 vs. 2.4 + or - 0.4 mm Hg(-1) x 10(3), p=0.003) and GTNMD (18.0 + or - 1.1 vs. 14.1 + or - 1.0 %, p=0.02) after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, fasting insulin, and leptin. In the univariate analysis, GTNMD correlated positively with DI (r=0.14, p=0.02) after adjustment for age, sex, fasting insulin and leptin. By multivariate analysis with BMI as an additional independent variable, both GTNMD and Einc correlated significantly with DI (beta=0.4, p=0.02 and beta=0.27, p=0.04, respectively). OSA in children is associated with arterial alterations independently from obesity. The increased vasodilation in response to glyceryl trinitrate reflects pre-existing vasoconstriction probably induced by intermittent hypoxia. OSA should be detected early in children with severe obesity.

  8. Explaining overweight and obesity in children and adolescents of Asian Indian origin: the Calcutta childhood obesity study.

    PubMed

    Ghosh, Arnab

    2014-01-01

    The present study was aimed to find out the prevalence of overweight and obesity and its associated factors among Bengalee children and adolescents in the Kolkata, India. A total of 1061 Bengalee school children and adolescents (610 boys and 451 girls) participated and were divided into three age groups: Group I = 8-11 years; Group II = 12-15 years and Group III = 16-18 years. Overweight and obesity were defined as: Overweight (between ≥85 th and <95 th percentile) and obesity (≥95 th percentile). Multivariate regression analyses (adjusted for age and sex) of body mass index (BMI) revealed that about 18% (R2 = 0.185) of total variance of BMI could be explained by monthly family income, participants think obese, consumption of too much junk foodstuffs, breakfast skip, extra consumption of salt, and computer hours. Sedentary lifestyles, including increasing fast food preferences may be responsible for increasing occurrence of pediatric and adolescent obesity in this population.

  9. Beverage consumption patterns of children born at different risk of obesity.

    PubMed

    Kral, Tanja V E; Stunkard, Albert J; Berkowitz, Robert I; Stallings, Virginia A; Moore, Reneé H; Faith, Myles S

    2008-08-01

    Increased intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juice has been associated with overweight in children. This study prospectively assessed beverage consumption patterns and their relationship with weight status in a cohort of children born at different risk for obesity. Participants were children born at low risk (n = 27) or high risk (n = 22) for obesity based on maternal prepregnancy BMI (kg/m(2)). Daily beverage consumption was generated from 3-day food records from children aged 3-6 years and coded into seven beverage categories (milk, fruit juice, fruit drinks, caloric and non-caloric soda, soft drinks including and excluding fruit juice). Child anthropometric measures were assessed yearly. High-risk children consumed a greater percentage of daily calories from beverages at age 3, more fruit juice at ages 3 and 4, more soft drinks (including fruit juice) at ages 3-5, and more soda at age 6 compared to low-risk children. Longitudinal analyses showed that a greater 3-year increase in soda intake was associated with an increased change in waist circumference, whereas a greater increase in milk intake was associated with a reduced change in waist circumference. There was no significant association between change in intake from any of the beverage categories and change in BMI z-score across analyses. Children's familial predisposition to obesity may differentially affect their beverage consumption patterns. Future research should examine the extent to which dietary factors may play a role in pediatric body fat deposition over time.

  10. Monetary diet cost is positively associated with diet quality and obesity: an analysis of school-aged children in Southwest China.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xiao; Gong, Yunhui; Jia, Peng; Zhang, Jieyi; Xue, Hongmei; Quan, Liming; Tian, Guo; Xiong, Jingyuan; Zhang, Lishi; Wang, Yu; Zhang, Lin; Cheng, Guo

    2018-06-18

    Little is known about the relationships between diet cost, dietary intake and obesity in Chinese populations. This study explored how diet cost was related to diet quality and obesity among school-aged children in Southwest China. Data from a cross-sectional study was analysed. Diet cost was estimated based on dietary intake assessed with 24-h dietary recalls and retail food prices. Diet quality was measured using the Chinese Children Dietary Index. Body height, weight, waist circumference and skinfold thicknesses were measured, and their body mass index standard deviation score (BMISDS), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), fat mass index (FMI) and fat-free mass index (FFMI) were calculated. Multivariate regression models were used to explore the relevance of diet cost to diet quality and obesity. After adjustment for potential confounders, a positive association was observed between diet quality and energy-adjusted diet cost (β = 0.143, 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.014-0.285, Pfor-trend = 0.0006). Energy-adjusted diet cost also showed a positive association with FMI (β = 0.0354, 95% CI: 0.0001-0.0709, Pfor-trend = 0.01), BMISDS (β = 0.0200, 95% CI: 0.0006-0.0394, Pfor-trend = 0.002) and WHtR (β = 0.0010, 95% CI: 0.0003-0.0017, Pfor-trend = 0.02). Energy-adjusted diet cost was independently and positively associated with diet quality and obesity among Chinese school-aged children.

  11. Metabolic Cost, Mechanical Work, and Efficiency during Normal Walking in Obese and Normal-Weight Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huang, Liang; Chen, Peijie; Zhuang, Jie; Zhang, Yanxin; Walt, Sharon

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the influence of childhood obesity on energetic cost during normal walking and to determine if obese children choose a walking strategy optimizing their gait pattern. Method: Sixteen obese children with no functional abnormalities were matched by age and gender with 16 normal-weight children. All…

  12. Salivary inflammatory markers and microbiome in normoglycemic lean and obese children compared to obese children with type 2 diabetes.

    PubMed

    Janem, Waleed F; Scannapieco, Frank A; Sabharwal, Amarpeet; Tsompana, Maria; Berman, Harvey A; Haase, Elaine M; Miecznikowski, Jeffrey C; Mastrandrea, Lucy D

    2017-01-01

    There is emerging evidence linking diabetes with periodontal disease. Diabetes is a well-recognized risk factor for periodontal disease. Conversely, pro-inflammatory molecules released by periodontally-diseased tissues may enter the circulation to induce insulin resistance. While this association has been demonstrated in adults, there is little information regarding periodontal status in obese children with and without type 2 diabetes (T2D). We hypothesized that children with T2D have higher rates of gingivitis, elevated salivary inflammatory markers, and an altered salivary microbiome compared to children without T2D. Three pediatric cohorts ages 10-19 years were studied: lean (normal weight-C), obese (Ob), and obese with T2D (T2D). Each subject completed an oral health survey, received a clinical oral examination, and provided unstimulated saliva for measurement of inflammatory markers and microbiome analysis. The diabetes group was less likely to have had a dental visit within the last six months. Body mass index (BMI) Z-scores and waist circumference/height ratios were similar between Ob and T2D cohorts. The number of carious lesions and fillings were similar for all three groups. The gingival index was greater in the T2D group compared to the Ob and C groups. Although salivary microbial diversity was minimal between groups, a few differences in bacterial genus composition were noted. Obese children with T2D show a trend toward poorer oral health compared to normal weight and obese children without T2D. This study characterizes the salivary microbiome of children with and without obesity and T2D. This study supports a modest link between T2D and periodontal inflammation in the pediatric population.

  13. Reduced cardiac vagal activity in obese children and adolescents.

    PubMed

    Dangardt, Frida; Volkmann, Reinhard; Chen, Yun; Osika, Walter; Mårild, Staffan; Friberg, Peter

    2011-03-01

    Obese children present with various cardiovascular risk factors affecting their future health. In adults, cardiac autonomic function is a major risk factor, predicting cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We hypothesized that obese children and adolescents had a lower cardiac vagal activity than lean subjects. We measured cardiac spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity (BRS), reflecting the dynamic regulation of cardiac vagal function, in large groups of obese and lean young individuals.   Cardiac BRS, using the sequence approach, was assessed in 120 obese (59 girls), 43 overweight (23 girls) and 148 lean subjects (78 girls). Obese subjects showed a decreased BRS compared to both overweight and lean subjects [16±7 versus 21±9 (P<0·01) and 22±10 ms per mmHg (P<0·0001), respectively]. The differences remained after correcting for age, gender and pubertal status.   Children with obesity had low vagal activity at rest, and there was no gender difference. © 2010 The Authors. Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging © 2010 Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine.

  14. Obese children experience higher plantar pressure and lower foot sensitivity than non-obese.

    PubMed

    da Rocha, Emmanuel Souza; Bratz, Denise Tiane Klein; Gubert, Larissa Colaço; de David, Ana; Carpes, Felipe P

    2014-08-01

    Children obesity is a risk factor for several dysfunctions and diseases, with negative effects on the morphology of the locomotor system, plantar pressure and body stability. A relationship between postural control and sensorimotor information has been assumed. However, there is few data on the effects of children obesity on the availability of sensorial information from the foot during standing. Twenty obese and twenty non-obese children were evaluated for foot sensitivity and plantar pressure during unipedal and bipedal stance. Data were compared between obese and non-obese participants, between foot regions and between legs. Obese children experiences higher plantar pressure and have lower foot sensitivity than non-obese. Additionally, obese children had similar sensitivity for different foot regions, as compared to the non-obese. Children obesity negatively influences foot sensitivity. Bipedal stance seemed more sensitive to differentiate between obese and non-obese. Higher plantar pressure and lower foot sensitivity in obese children may affect performance of weight bearing activities, contribute to higher risk of foot injuries and have potential implication for children footwear design and clinical physical examination. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea among obese toddlers and preschool children.

    PubMed

    Bin-Hasan, Saadoun; Katz, Sherri; Nugent, Zoe; Nehme, Joy; Lu, Zihang; Khayat, Abdullah; Al-Saleh, Suhail; Amin, Reshma; Narang, Indra

    2018-05-01

    Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder estimated at 1-5% in the school-aged children. With the obesity prevalence reaching staggering rates globally, OSA in obese adolescents is estimated to be 4-5-folds higher than their lean peers. There is a paucity of data regarding obesity-related OSA in children 6 years and less. This is particularly relevant as OSA is associated with neurocognitive deficits. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of OSA among obese toddlers and preschool children and further to determine what other factors may be associated with the presence of OSA. A retrospective study involving children ≤6 years, identified from two Canadian pediatric tertiary care centers who had an in-lab polysomnography (PSG). Obesity was defined by a BMI of > 95th percentile for age and gender or a z-score of > 2. OSA was diagnosed if the obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (OAHI) was greater than 2 events per hour. There were 60 participants included; the mean age was 4.4 years (standard deviation [SD] ± 1.7), mean BMI z-score was 3.0 (SD ± 1.2). Of these, 22/60 (36.6%) had OSA. Compared with the non-OSA group, the OSA group had a higher Epworth sleepiness score (p = 0.03) and were more likely to snore (p = 0.01). Young obese children should be assessed for OSA. A history of snoring and daytime sleepiness may be useful indicators to facilitate triage for a PSG, especially in resource-limited settings.

  16. [Motor Skills of Extremely Obese Children and Adolescents Based on the Multicentre Longitudinal Obesity Database (APV)].

    PubMed

    Koch, B; Graf, C; Hoffmeister, U; Platschek, A-M; Gruber, W; Holl, R

    2016-03-01

    Obese children and adolescents often exhibit progressively declining motor skills. To support young obese patients adequately, it is necessary to assess their individual physical and motor abilities, taking the degree of obesity into account. A total of 5 924 children and adolescents (mean age: 12.7±2.5 years, range 6.0-18.0 years, 3 195 girls) were examined in a standardised multicentre evaluation survey (APV). Fitness parameters were correlated with age- and gender-specific BMI-SDS (Standard Deviation Score) Methods: Anthropometric data were collected and patients performed the modified Munich fitness test (mMFT: maximal power, coordination, trunk flexibility) and a 6-min walk-test (aerobic endurance capacity). 33% of patients were extremely obese (BMI>99.5th percentile). Mean BMI-SDS was + 2.32±0.53 (♀-Δ=+ 0.06; p<0.001). The data indicated significant negative correlations between BMI-SDS and selected components of motor performance, especially maximal power (r=- 0,134), and particularly aerobic endurance capacity (r=- 0,214; all p<0.001). Motor performance was significantly below average (n=27 473, 6-18 years), especially among extremely obese patients. Performance in all motor tasks was lower in girls compared to boys, except for trunk flexibility (p<0.001). Correlations were found between BMI-SDS and motor performance. Extremely obese patients and obese girls showed the most pronounced motor deficits. These results emphasize the importance of standardized evaluation of individual motor performance in children and adolescents with obesity. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  17. Overweight/obesity and hypertension in schoolchildren aged 6-16 years, Aden Governorate, Yemen, 2009.

    PubMed

    Badi, M A H; Garcia-Triana, B E; Suarez-Martinez, R

    2012-07-01

    Hypertension and obesity in children are increasing concerns worldwide. A cross-sectional study of hypertension in relation to overweight/obesity was conducted in 2009 among schoolchildren aged 6-16 years in Aden, Yemen. Using multistage stratified random sampling 1885 children were classified into wasted, normal weight, overweight and obese according to body mass index. The prevalence of wasting was 10.1%, normal weight 69.2%, overweight 12.7% and obesity 8.0%. The rate of high blood pressure (World Health Organization criteria) was 8.2% for prehypertension and 2.4% for hypertension and was significantly related to the presence of overweight or obesity. Child's body mass index combined with age was a predictor for systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The study provides further evidence that overweight/obesity is associated with hypertension in these schoolchildren.

  18. IGF-1R mRNA expression is increased in obese children.

    PubMed

    Ricco, Rafaela Cristina; Ricco, Rubens Garcia; Queluz, Mariangela Carletti; de Paula, Mariana Teresa Sarti; Atique, Patricia Volpon; Custódio, Rodrigo José; Tourinho Filho, Hugo; Del Roio Liberatori, Raphael; Martinelli, Carlos Eduardo

    2018-04-01

    Obese children are often taller than age-matched subjects. Reports on GH and IGF-I levels in obese individuals are controversial, with normal and reduced GH-IGF-I levels having been reported in this group of patients. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyse insulin-like growth factor type 1 receptor (IGF-IR) mRNA expression in obese children. Forty-seven pre-pubertal children were included in this study: 29 were obese and taller than their target height, and 18 were normal eutrophic controls. Fasting blood samples were collected for IGF-IR mRNA expression in isolated lymphocytes and serum IGF-I, ALS, IGFBP-3, and IGFBP-1 concentration analysis. Relative IGF-IR gene expression (2 -ΔΔCT ) was significantly (P=0.025) higher in obese children (median 1.87) than in controls (1.15). Fourteen of the 29 obese subjects showed 2 -ΔΔCT values greater than or equal to 2, while only 2 individuals in the control group showed values above 2 (P=0.01). Obese children showed significantly (P=0.01) higher IGF-I concentrations than the control group (237ng/ml and 144ng/ml, respectively). Among obese patients, 65.5% had IGF-I values above the 75 percentile of the control group (P=0.02). ALS concentration was significantly (P=0.04) higher in the obese group, while IGFBP-3 levels were similar in obese and control children. IGFBP-1 concentration was lower in obese children, while insulin levels and HOMA-IR index were higher than in controls. The higher IGF-IR mRNA expression observed in obese children, associated with the higher IGF-I and ALS and the lower IGFBP-1 levels, suggest that the higher stature observed in these children may be due to increased IGF-I bioactivity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Density of the crystalline lens in obese and nonobese children.

    PubMed

    Acer, Semra; Ağladıoğlu, Sebahat Yılmaz; Pekel, Gökhan; Özhan, Bayram; Çetin, Ebru Nevin; Yağcı, Ramazan; Yıldırım, Cem

    2016-02-01

    To compare crystalline lens density in obese and nonobese children. A total of 40 obese (25 females) and 46 age-sex matched controls (26 females) were included in this prospective study. Children with ocular diseases (except for mild refractive errors), ocular trauma, or surgery and any systemic disorders, including diabetes, were excluded. Lens densitometry (LD), central corneal thickness (CCT), anterior chamber depth (ACD) and corneal volume (CV) were measured by Pentacam HR. Mean participant age was 12.0 ± 1.9 (range, 7.2-18 years) in the obese group and 11.7 ± 2.0 (range, 7.5-16.1 years) in the control group. The BMI was 29.9 ± 4.5 in the obese group and 18.7 ± 2.5 in the control group (P ≤ 0.05). The vertical, horizontal, and areal lens density measurements were higher in obese group than in controls (P ≤ 0.05). There was a positive correlation between BMI and vertical, horizontal, and areal lens density measurements. The difference in CCT, ACD, and CV was not statistically significant between groups (P ≥ 0.05). There is increased lens density in the obese children compared with controls. Pentacam HR may provide objective data about lens density in children. Copyright © 2016 American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Severe obesity and high blood pressure among children, Philadelphia health centers, 2010.

    PubMed

    Nguyen, John V; Robbins, Jessica M; Houck, Kevin L; Nobis, Elizabeth A; Inman, Katelyn A; Khan, Khudsiya S; Robbins, Susan W

    2014-04-01

    Child obesity is a major health problem particularly affecting disadvantaged population groups. Severe obesity carries additional health risks for children. In the context of the childhood obesity epidemic, high blood pressure among children is of increasing concern. Chart reviews were carried out to examine the prevalence of severe obesity and its association with high blood pressure measurements among randomly selected patients aged 3 to 17 years who had well-child care visits at 8 public community health centers during 2010. A majority of the 691 patients reviewed were African American (58%); an additional 16% were Hispanic. The prevalence of severe obesity was 7.7% (95% confidence interval = 5.8% to 9.9%) and the prevalence of high blood pressure measurements was 17.5% (95% confidence interval = 14.8% to 20.6%). Patients who were severely obese were more than twice as likely as other children to have high blood pressure values. Severe obesity is associated with substantially increased frequency of high blood pressure measurements in children, and should be investigated further as a potential marker for hypertension in children. Primary care providers should be prepared to diagnose and treat hypertension in severely obese children.

  1. Longer duration of obesity is associated with a reduction in urinary angiotensinogen in prepubertal children.

    PubMed

    Morato, Manuela; Correia-Costa, Liane; Sousa, Teresa; Cosme, Dina; Schaefer, Franz; Areias, José Carlos; Guerra, António; Afonso, Alberto Caldas; Barros, Henrique; Azevedo, Ana; Albino-Teixeira, António

    2017-08-01

    We aimed to study the impact of obesity on urinary excretion of angiotensinogen (U-AGT) in prepubertal children, focusing on the duration of obesity and gender. Also, we aimed to evaluate whether plasma angiotensinogen (P-AGT) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) play a role in the putative association. Cross-sectional evaluation of 305 children aged 8-9 years (160 normal weight, 86 overweight, and 59 obese). Anthropometric measurements and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring were performed. Angiotensinogen (AGT) was determined by a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit and H 2 O 2 by a microplate fluorometric assay. U-AGT and P-AGT levels were similar across body mass index (BMI) groups and between sexes. However, boys who were overweight/obese since the age of 4 years presented lower levels of U-AGT compared with those of normal weight at the same age. In children who were overweight/obese since the age of 4, urinary H 2 O 2 decreased with P-AGT. A higher duration of obesity was associated with decreased U-AGT in boys, thus reflecting decreased intrarenal activity of the renin-angiotensin system. Also, children with a longer duration of obesity showed an inverse association between urinary H 2 O 2 and P-AGT. Future studies should address whether these results reflect an early compensatory mechanism to limit obesity-triggered renal dysfunction.

  2. Restless Legs Syndrome and Poor Sleep Quality in Obese Children and Adolescents

    PubMed

    Baran, Rıza Taner; Atar, Müge; Pirgon, Özgür; Filiz, Serkan; Filiz, Meral

    2018-06-01

    Adult epidemiological studies suggest that the rate of Restless Legs syndrome (RLS) in the general population may range from 5% to 15%. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of RLS in a community sample of obese adolescents aged 10-16 years and to assess the association with sleep quality and health-related glucose metabolism markers. The study group comprised 144 obese and overweight children aged 10-16 yearsand the control group consisted of 66 age-matched healthy children. The RLS Questionnaire devised by the International RLS Study and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), where a score >5 indicates poor sleep quality, was used to assess sleep quality. Mean body mass index (BMI) of the overweight/obese and control groups were 30.5±0.5 and 18.7±0.2, respectively. The frequency of RLS was higher in the obese group (21.7%) than the overweight (3.4%) and control (1.5%) (p<0.001) groups. The frequency of a poor PSQI score was significantly higher (p<0.001) in the obese group (37.3%) than the control group (24.2%). The obese with RLS group also had poorer sleep quality scores than the non-RLS obese group. Many symptoms of sleep disruption were more common in obese patients with RLS and RLS was independently correlated with a high PSQI score [odds ratio (OR): 2.25, confidence interval (Cl): 0.96-5.28, p<0.001)] and an increased BMI z-score (OR: 8.87, Cl: 2.04-38.61, p<0.001). RLS is common in obese children and may be associated with altered sleep quality. Obese children with RLS need to be assessed since they may need support to improve their sleep quality.

  3. Restless Legs Syndrome and Poor Sleep Quality in Obese Children and Adolescents

    PubMed Central

    Baran, Rıza Taner; Atar, Müge; Pirgon, Özgür; Filiz, Serkan; Filiz, Meral

    2018-01-01

    Objective: Adult epidemiological studies suggest that the rate of Restless Legs syndrome (RLS) in the general population may range from 5% to 15%. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of RLS in a community sample of obese adolescents aged 10-16 years and to assess the association with sleep quality and health-related glucose metabolism markers. Methods: The study group comprised 144 obese and overweight children aged 10-16 yearsand the control group consisted of 66 age-matched healthy children. The RLS Questionnaire devised by the International RLS Study and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), where a score >5 indicates poor sleep quality, was used to assess sleep quality. Results: Mean body mass index (BMI) of the overweight/obese and control groups were 30.5±0.5 and 18.7±0.2, respectively. The frequency of RLS was higher in the obese group (21.7%) than the overweight (3.4%) and control (1.5%) (p<0.001) groups. The frequency of a poor PSQI score was significantly higher (p<0.001) in the obese group (37.3%) than the control group (24.2%). The obese with RLS group also had poorer sleep quality scores than the non-RLS obese group. Many symptoms of sleep disruption were more common in obese patients with RLS and RLS was independently correlated with a high PSQI score [odds ratio (OR): 2.25, confidence interval (Cl): 0.96-5.28, p<0.001)] and an increased BMI z-score (OR: 8.87, Cl: 2.04-38.61, p<0.001). Conclusion: RLS is common in obese children and may be associated with altered sleep quality. Obese children with RLS need to be assessed since they may need support to improve their sleep quality. PMID:29175807

  4. Gender-Based Differences on the Association between Salt-Sensitive Genes and Obesity in Korean Children Aged between 8 and 9 Years

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Seon-Mee; Park, Hyesoon; Park, Chang gyu; Park, Hye Kyung

    2015-01-01

    Background High sodium intake is associated with the development of chronic diseases such as obesity. Although its role in obesity remains controversial, there may be a correlation between salt sensitivity and the early onset of chronic diseases in obese children. Methods In all, 2,163 Korean children (1,106 boys and 1,057 girls) aged 8–9 years were recruited from seven elementary schools in Seoul. To evaluate whether obesity risk was modulated by the salt sensitivity, 11 SNPs related to salt sensitive genes (SSG) became the target of sodium intakes in obese children. Results BP, HOMA-IR, LDLc, TG, and the girls’ sodium intake significantly increased, but HDLc significantly decreased with increase in BMI. Regardless of sex, the obesity risk was 5.27-fold (CI; 1.320–27.560) higher in the Q2 to Q5 of sodium intake adjusted by energy (4044.9–5058.9 mg/day) than in the lowest Q1 level (2287.6 mg/day) in obese children. BP was sensitively dependent on insulin resistance and lipid accumulation in all subjects; however, sodium intake may be an independent risk factor of obesity without increasing BP in girls. GRK4 A486V mutant homozygote was highly distributed in the obese group, but other SNPs had no impact. The obesity risk increased 7.06, 16.8, and 46.09-fold more in boys with GRK4 A486V, ACE, and SLC12A3 mutants as sodium intake increased. Among girls, the obesity risk increased in GRK4 A486V heterozygote and CYP11β-2 mutant homozygote although sodium intake was relatively lower, implying that ACE, SLC12A, CYP11β-2, and GRK4 A486V polymorphisms showed gender-based differences with regard to interaction between sodium intake and obesity. Conclusion A high sodium intake markedly increased the obesity risk in variants of GRK4 A486V regardless of sex. The obesity risk increased with GRK4 A486V, ACE, and SLC12A3 variants in boys, whereas it increased with GRK4 A486V and CYP11B2 variants in girls as sodium intake increased. Obese children with the specific gene

  5. Dietary Habits and Cardiometabolic Health in Obese Children.

    PubMed

    Gilardini, Luisa; Croci, Marina; Pasqualinotto, Lucia; Caffetto, Katherine; Invitti, Cecilia

    2015-01-01

    Prevalence rates of cardiometabolic risk factors vary largely among overweight children. This study investigated the relationships between dietary habits and cardiometabolic health among obese children living in a city of Northern Italy. Dietary habits were collected in 448 obese subjects aged 6-18 years, attending an obesity outpatient center in Milan. Anthropometry, blood pressure (BP), lipids, fasting and post-load glucose, and insulin were measured. Physical activity was assessed in adolescents using a questionnaire. Frequency of glucose intolerance, hypertension and dyslipidemia was 0.7%, 13% and 27.2%, respectively. Plausible reporters consumed more animal protein and sodium and less legumes than recommended in nutritional recommendations and adequate amounts of fiber mainly derived from whole grains. Subjects skipping breakfast had unhealthy diets and greater body fatness. After adjustment for confounders, waist/height and fasting glucose were associated with sodium intake (r =0.149 and r = 0.142, respectively; p < 0.05), 2-hour glucose with fiber (r = -0.172; p < 0.01), and BP with vegetable protein intake (systolic r = -0.120 (p < 0.05); diastolic r = -0.267 (p < 0.01)). Hypertensive children consumed less vegetable protein than normotensive children. The cardiometabolic health of obese children improves with vegetable protein and whole grain intake, whereas dysglycemia and adiposity increase with sodium intake.

  6. Injury patterns among obese children involved in motor vehicle collisions.

    PubMed

    Haricharan, Ramanath N; Griffin, Russell L; Barnhart, Douglas C; Harmon, Carroll M; McGwin, Gerald

    2009-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare injury patterns among obese children to their nonobese counterparts involved in motor vehicle collisions. A nationwide data collection program containing occupant, collision, and injury details from police-reported tow-away crashes between 1997 and 2006 were used. Risk ratios (RRs) and associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were adjusted for age, sex, restraint, seat track position, vehicle curb weight, and total velocity change. An estimated 9 million children aged 2 to 17 years (20.2% obese) were involved in motor vehicle collisions during the study period. Among 2-to-5-year-olds, obesity increased the risk of severe head (RR, 3.67; 95% CI, 1.03-13.08) and thoracic (2.27; 1.01-5.08) injuries. Among 6-to-9-year-olds, obesity increased risk of thoracic (2.31; 1.08-4.95) and lower extremity (LE) injuries (1.89; 1.03-3.47). Among 10-to-13-year-olds, obesity increased the risk of severe thoracic (1.98; 1.08-3.65) and LE (6.06; 2.23-16.44) injuries. Among 14-to-17-year-olds, obesity increased risk of severe LE injuries (1.44; 1.04-2.00) but decreased risk of abdominal (0.20; 0.07-0.60) and head (0.33; 0.18-0.60) injuries, very similar to the pattern reported in obese adults. The pattern of obesity-associated injuries changes from a higher risk of head and thoracic injuries among young children to a pattern in late teenagers that is similar to obese adults.

  7. Association between Childhood Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome: Evidence from a Large Sample of Chinese Children and Adolescents

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Fangfang; Shan, Xiaoyi; Cheng, Hong; Hou, Dongqing; Zhao, Xiaoyuan; Wang, Tianyou; Zhao, Di

    2012-01-01

    Data about metabolic syndrome (MetS) in children is limited in China. We aimed to assess the prevalence of MetS related components, and their association with obesity. Data were collected as part of a representative study on MetS among 19593 children, aged 6–18 years old in Beijing. General obesity was assessed by body mass index (BMI) and central obesity by waist circumference. Finger capillary blood tests were used to assess triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG). Vein blood samples were collected from a subsample of 3814 children aged 10–18 years to classify MetS. MetS was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation 2007 definition. The associations between MetS related components and the degree and type of obesity were tested using logistic regression models. The prevalence of overweight, obesity, high blood pressure, elevated TG, TC and IFG were13.6%, 5.8%, 8.5%, 8.8%, 1.2% and 2.5%, respectively. Compared with normal weight children, overweight and obese children were more likely to have other MetS related components. In the subsample of 3814 children aged 10–18 years, the prevalence of MetS was much higher in obese subjects than in their normal weight counterparts (27.6% vs. 0.2%). Children with both general and central obesity had the highest prevalence of MetS. Compared with normal weight children, overweight and obese children were more likely to have MetS (overweight: OR = 67.33, 95%CI = 21.32–212.61; obesity: OR = 249.99, 95% CI = 79.51–785.98). Prevalence of MetS related components has reached high level among Beijing children who were overweight or obese. The association between metabolic disorders and obesity was strong. PMID:23082159

  8. Bad eating habits as the main cause of obesity among children.

    PubMed

    Kuźbicka, Karolina; Rachoń, Dominik

    2013-01-01

    Obesity is undoubtedly one of the biggest medical problems of the 21st century. Regrettably, the problem affects more and more children and adolescents. 10% of world's school-aged children have an excess body weight and a quarter of these children are obese. In Europe every fifth school-aged child suffers from an excess body weight. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among Polish adolescents is about 14%. An excess body weight can be the consequence of genetic factors, endocrine disorders or certain drugs. However, "simple obesity" is the most common, consequence of providing too much energy from food products in comparison to energy expenditure (caloric excess). Today's lifestyle promotes the development of obesity. The lack of physical activity, sedentary lifestyle and energy-rich diet are the main causes of an excess body fat accumulation. Because of improper eating behaviours children consume an excess amount of energy; and their diet is deficient in elements necessary for proper development. The examples of such bad eating habits are: snacking highly processed and calorie-rich foods between meals eating in front of the TV screen, skipping breakfasts, drinking sugar-sweetened beverages, "eating out" frequently and "emotional eating". Bad eating behaviours are crucial factors for the development of obesity. Eating habits are usually formed in early childhood and parents play a very important role in their development.

  9. Prevalence and Risk Factors of Overweight and Obesity among Children Aged 6–59 Months in Cameroon: A Multistage, Stratified Cluster Sampling Nationwide Survey

    PubMed Central

    Tchoubi, Sébastien; Sobngwi-Tambekou, Joëlle; Noubiap, Jean Jacques N.; Asangbeh, Serra Lem; Nkoum, Benjamin Alexandre; Sobngwi, Eugene

    2015-01-01

    Background Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children (<5 years) in Cameroon, based on weight-for-height index, has doubled between 1991 and 2006. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of overweight and obesity among children aged 6 months to 5 years in Cameroon in 2011. Methods Four thousand five hundred and eighteen children (2205 boys and 2313 girls) aged between 6 to 59 months were sampled in the 2011 Demographic Health Survey (DHS) database. Body Mass Index (BMI) z-scores based on WHO 2006 reference population was chosen to estimate overweight (BMI z-score > 2) and obesity (BMI for age > 3). Regression analyses were performed to investigate risk factors of overweight/obesity. Results The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 8% (1.7% for obesity alone). Boys were more affected by overweight than girls with a prevalence of 9.7% and 6.4% respectively. The highest prevalence of overweight was observed in the Grassfield area (including people living in West and North-West regions) (15.3%). Factors that were independently associated with overweight and obesity included: having overweight mother (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.51; 95% CI 1.15 to 1.97) and obese mother (aOR = 2.19; 95% CI = 155 to 3.07), compared to having normal weight mother; high birth weight (aOR = 1.69; 95% CI 1.24 to 2.28) compared to normal birth weight; male gender (aOR = 1.56; 95% CI 1.24 to 1.95); low birth rank (aOR = 1.35; 95% CI 1.06 to 1.72); being aged between 13–24 months (aOR = 1.81; 95% CI = 1.21 to 2.66) and 25–36 months (aOR = 2.79; 95% CI 1.93 to 4.13) compared to being aged 45 to 49 months; living in the grassfield area (aOR = 2.65; 95% CI = 1.87 to 3.79) compared to living in Forest area. Muslim appeared as a protective factor (aOR = 0.67; 95% CI 0.46 to 0.95).compared to Christian religion. Conclusion This study underlines a high prevalence of

  10. Childhood environment and obesity

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    US children are at risk for developing childhood obesity. Currently, 23% of children ages 2–5 are overweight or obese, i.e., at or above the 85th percentile. This prevalence becomes even higher as children age, with 34% of children ages 6–11 being overweight or obese. Ethnic minority children are at...

  11. Prevalence and Trends of Obesity among Chinese Korean Nationality Children and Adolescents, 1991–2010

    PubMed Central

    ZHAO, Chunhua; MA, Yana; PAN, Chenwei; CHEN, Xing; SUN, Hongpeng

    2016-01-01

    Background: Obesity has become a serious problem for Chinese Han nationality. This research aimed to evaluate the prevalence of and trends in obesity among Chinese Korean nationality children and adolescents (1991–2010). Methods: We used data from Chinese National Surveys on Students’ Constitution and Health (CNSSCH). CNSSCH was utilized to monitor Chinese students’ health condition and released its data every 5 yr (1991, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010). The standard weight-for-height was the 80th percentile for sex- and age-specific growth charts based on the 1985 CNSSCH data. Obesity was defined as ≧120% of standard weight-for-height. Results: The total age-adjusted prevalence of obesity was 15.9% (95% confidence interval (CI), 14.9–16.9%) among Chinese Korean children and adolescents aged 7 to 18 yr. Children or adolescents who were boys (Rate ratios (RR), 1.35; 95% CI, 1.19–1.53) or aged 10–12 (RR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.17–1.63) were more likely to be obese. The trend analysis of the 19-yr period implied a serious annual increasing trend during 1991–2000 (RR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.02–1.07) and during 2000–2010 (RR,, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.11–1.13). Chinese Korean children may also be more likely to become obese than Han nationality children during 1991–2010. Conclusion: A serious and continuous increasing trend was in the prevalence of obesity among Chinese Korean children and adolescents during 1991–2010. Childhood obesity had become a serious problem. This prognosis is worrisome. PMID:27648414

  12. The Relationship between Obesity, Sleep and Physical Activity in Chinese Preschool Children.

    PubMed

    Ji, Meimei; Tang, Amber; Zhang, Yefu; Zou, Jiaojiao; Zhou, Guangyu; Deng, Jing; Yang, Lina; Li, Mingzhi; Chen, Jihua; Qin, Hong; Lin, Qian

    2018-03-15

    Pediatric overweight and obesity has become a major public health problem in China. The goal of this study is to understand overweight and obesity in preschool children in Changsha City in the context of their sleep and physical activity. These results offer feasible proposals to reduce levels of overweight and obesity among preschool children. A total of 112 preschoolers aged three to six years old were investigated using multiple stage stratified cluster sampling and simple random sampling. Questionnaires were used to collect general information about children and their families. Body mass index (BMI) was used as an indicator of overweight and obesity. Age- and sex-specific cutoff values for Chinese children and adolescents were used to determine child weight status. Children's sedentary time was reported by caregivers, while physical activity and sleep were recorded using fitness bracelets (Misfit Shine 2). The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity were 15.2% and 9.8% respectively. Preschool-aged children travelled 11,111 ± 3357 and 10,350 ± 2973 steps per day on weekdays and weekends respectively. The number of daily steps was not statistically different between weekdays and weekends. The amount of time spent daily doing vigorous activity on weekdays and weekends was significantly different, with an average time of 20.5 ± 31.6 min and 10.3 ± 15.3 min respectively ( p = 0.002). Furthermore, 10.7% and 50.9% of children used screens for more than two hours on weekdays and weekends respectively ( p < 0.001). Children slept for significantly longer on weekends (8.3 ± 0.9 h) than on weekdays (8.1 ± 0.7 h) ( p = 0.037). A significantly higher proportion of students also fell asleep before 10:00 p.m. on weekends (26.8%) compared to weekdays (15.2%) ( p < 0.001). Parent's BMI values were positively correlated with child BMI, the monthly household income was negatively associated with child BMI. Male children were more likely to have a higher BMI than

  13. Obesity-risk behaviours and their associations with body mass index (BMI) in Korean American children.

    PubMed

    Jang, Myoungock; Grey, Margaret; Sadler, Lois; Jeon, Sangchoon; Nam, Soohyun; Song, Hee-Jung; Whittemore, Robin

    2017-08-03

    To describe obesity-risk behaviours (diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviour) and examine the relationships of the obesity-risk behaviours with body mass index (BMI) in school-aged Korean American children. Korean American children have a risk of becoming overweight or obese and developing obesity-related complications; however, there is limited research about obesity-risk behaviours in Korean American children. A cross-sectional study. Obesity-risk behaviours of children were assessed with well-validated self-report questionnaires (i.e., Elementary-level School-based Nutrition Monitoring Questionnaire) from children and their mothers. Height and weight of children were measured. Data were analysed with bivariate and multivariate analyses using mixed effects models to incorporate the correlation within siblings. A total of 170 Korean American children (mean age 10.9 [2.0] years; 52.4% girls; mean BMI 19.3 [3.2]; 28.7% ≥85 percentiles) participated in the study. Only 38.3% of Korean American children met established recommendations of five fruits/vegetables per day; 56.5% met recommendations for more than 3 days per week of vigorous physical activity; and 40.8% met recommendations for <2 hr of recreational screen time per day. Sixty per cent and 88.8% of children met the recommendation of sleep on a weekday and weekend, respectively. Only screen time was positively associated with child BMI z-score (β = 0.08; p < .03). Healthcare providers need to be aware of the increased rate of overweight and obesity in Korean American children and initiate clinical interventions to improve obesity-risk behaviours, especially sedentary behaviour, in Korean American children. Clinical assessment and management of the risk of developing overweight and obesity as well as obesity-related behaviours are important to improve obesity-related complications in overall Korean Americans. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. The Association between Food Insecurity and Obesity in Children-The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

    PubMed

    Kaur, Jasbir; Lamb, Molly M; Ogden, Cynthia L

    2015-05-01

    Food insecurity can put children at greater risk of obesity because of altered food choices and nonuniform consumption patterns. We examined the association between obesity and both child-level food insecurity and personal food insecurity in US children. Data from 9,701 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001-2010, aged 2 to 11 years were analyzed. Child-level food insecurity was assessed with the US Department of Agriculture's Food Security Survey Module based on eight child-specific questions. Personal food insecurity was assessed with five additional questions. Obesity was defined, using physical measurements, as body mass index (calculated as kg/m²) greater than or equal to the age- and sex-specific 95th percentile of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts. Logistic regressions adjusted for sex, race/ethnic group, poverty level, and survey year were conducted to describe associations between obesity and food insecurity. Obesity was significantly associated with personal food insecurity for children aged 6 to 11 years (odds ratio=1.81; 95% CI 1.33 to 2.48), but not in children aged 2 to 5 years (odds ratio=0.88; 95% CI 0.51 to 1.51). Child-level food insecurity was not associated with obesity among 2- to 5-year-olds or 6- to 11-year-olds. Personal food insecurity is associated with an increased risk of obesity only in children aged 6 to 11 years. Personal food-insecurity measures may give different results than aggregate food-insecurity measures in children. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  15. Human adenovirus-36 antibody status is associated with obesity in children.

    PubMed

    Atkinson, Richard L; Lee, Insil; Shin, Hye-Jung; He, Jia

    2010-04-01

    Human adenovirus-36 (Ad-36) is thought to induce obesity by a direct effect of the viral E4orf1 gene on lipogenic enzymes in host adipocytes. Ad-36 prevalence is 30% in obese adults, but prevalence has not been reported in childhood obesity. To determine the prevalence of Ad-36 infection in obese Korean children (age 14.8 +/- 1.9; range 8.3-6.3 years); correlation of infection with BMI z-score and other obesity measures. Blood was drawn at the annual school physical exam or clinic visit; Ad-36 status was determined by serum neutralization assay; and routine serum chemistry values. A total of 30% of subjects were positive (N = 25) for Ad-36; 70% were negative (N = 59). Significantly higher BMI z-scores (1.92 vs. 1.65, p < 0.01) and waist circumferences (96.3 vs. 90.7 cm, p = 0.05) were found in infected versus uninfected children. Cardiovascular risk factors were not significantly different. Ad-36 infection is common in obese Korean children and correlates highly with obesity. Ad-36 may have played a role in the obesity and Type 2 diabetes epidemic in children.

  16. Metabolic syndrome in obese children and adolescents in Serbia: prevalence and risk factors.

    PubMed

    Vukovic, Rade; Zdravkovic, Dragan; Mitrovic, Katarina; Milenkovic, Tatjana; Todorovic, Sladjana; Vukovic, Ana; Soldatovic, Ivan

    2015-07-01

    To assess the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in obese children and adolescents in Serbia. The study group consisted of 254 subjects (148 female and 106 male), aged 4.6-18.9 years with diet-induced obesity (body mass index ≥95th percentile). Presence of MS using the International Diabetes Federation definition was assessed in all subjects, as well as oral glucose tolerance test and insulin resistance indices. Overall prevalence of MS in all subjects aged ≥10 years was 31.2%, namely, 28.7% in children aged 10 to <16 years and 40.5% in adolescents ≥16 years. When adjusted for age, gender and pubertal development, higher degree of obesity was a strong predictor of MS. Multivariate analysis showed that taller subjects and those with higher degree of insulin resistance were at significantly higher risk of MS, independent of the degree of obesity. High prevalence of MS emphasizes the need for prevention and treatment of childhood obesity.

  17. Obesity in children with poorly controlled asthma: Sex differences.

    PubMed

    Lang, Jason E; Holbrook, Janet T; Wise, Robert A; Dixon, Anne E; Teague, W Gerald; Wei, Christine Y; Irvin, Charles G; Shade, David; Lima, John J

    2013-09-01

    Obesity increases asthma risk, and may alter asthma severity. In adults, sex appears to modify the effect of obesity on asthma. Among children, the effect of sex on the relationship between obesity and asthma severity remains less clear, particularly when considering race. To determine how obesity affects disease characteristics in a diverse cohort of children with poorly controlled asthma, and if obesity effects are altered by sex. We analyzed 306 children between 6 and 17 years of age with poorly controlled asthma enrolled in a 6-month trial assessing lansoprazole for asthma control. In this secondary analysis, we determined associations between obesity and symptom severity, spirometry, exacerbation risk, airway biomarkers, bronchial reactivity, and airflow perception. We used both a multivariate linear regression and longitudinal mixed-effect model to determine if obesity interacted with sex to affect asthma severity. Regardless of sex, BMI >95th percentile did not affect asthma control, exacerbation risk or airway biomarkers. Sex changed the effect of obesity on lung function (sex × obesity FEV1%, interaction P-value < 0.01, sex × obesity FEV1/FVC, interaction P-value = 0.03). Obese males had significantly worse airflow obstruction compared to non-obese males, while in females there was no obesity effect on airflow obstruction. In females, obesity was associated with significantly greater FEV1 and FVC, and a trend toward reduced airway reactivity. Obesity did not affect asthma control, airway markers or disease stability; however obesity did affect lung function in a sex-dependent manner. In males, obesity associated with reduced FEV1/FVC, and in females, obesity associated with substantially improved lung function. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity in Children with Intellectual Disabilities in Korea

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Choi, Eunsook; Park, HyunJu; Ha, Yeongmi; Hwang, Won Ju

    2012-01-01

    Background: Overweight and obesity in children with intellectual disabilities may be a major health threat. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Korean children with intellectual disabilities aged 7-18 years who did not have specific genetic syndromes or physical disabilities. Materials and methods:…

  19. Do parents of obese children use ineffective parenting strategies?

    PubMed

    Morawska, Alina; West, Felicity

    2013-12-01

    Research has shown mixed findings about the relationship between parenting style and child lifestyle outcomes. This paper describes a cross-sectional study that aimed to clarify the relationship between ineffective parenting and childhood obesity by using multiple measures of child and family functioning. Sixty-two families with an obese child (aged four to 11 years) were matched with 62 families with a healthy weight child on key sociodemographic variables. Significant differences were found on several measures, including general parenting style, domain-specific parenting practices, and parenting self-efficacy (d = .53 to 1.96). Parents of obese children were more likely to use permissive and coercive discipline techniques, and to lack confidence in managing children's lifestyle behaviour. In contrast, parents of healthy weight children were more likely to implement specific strategies for promoting a healthy lifestyle.

  20. Effects of motivational interviewing to promote weight loss in obese children.

    PubMed

    Wong, Emmy M Y; Cheng, May M H

    2013-09-01

    To assess the effects of motivational interviewing for obese children and telephone consultation for parents to promote weight loss in obese children. Childhood obesity is a worldwide health problem that leads to serious metabolic and physiological consequences. An effective intervention to manage obesity is essential. Motivational interviewing is designed to resolve ambivalence, enhance intrinsic motivation and promote confidence in a person's ability to make behaviour changes. It has shown promise in the adult obesity literature as effecting positive health behaviour changes. Motivational interviewing has also been proposed as an effective method for improving the weight loss of obese children. A pre-post quasi-experimental design with repeated measures was used. The study was conducted in four primary schools over an 11-month period in 2010-2011. Obese children (n = 185) were screened from 791 school children studying the equivalent to UK grades 5 and 6 and were divided into three groups: motivational interviewing, motivational interviewing+ and a control group. The motivational interviewing group (n = 70) children were provided with motivational interviewing counselling; the motivational interviewing+ group (n = 66) children were provided with motivational interviewing counselling while telephone consultation was provided for their parents; and the control group did not receive any intervention (n = 49). Children in both the motivational interviewing and motivational interviewing+ groups showed significant improvement in their weight-related behaviour and obesity-related anthropometric measures from the baseline to the end of the 14-week intervention, while the control group had significant deterioration in their anthropometric measures. Motivational interviewing appears to be a promising intervention for promoting weight loss in obese children. Motivational interviewing counselling may be extended to obese children of different age groups. This study

  1. Prevalence of obesity among children and/or grandchildren of adult bariatric surgery patients.

    PubMed

    Bao, Jean J; Desai, Vikas; Christoffel, Katherine Kaufer; Smith-Ray, Patrick; Nagle, Alex P

    2009-07-01

    Clinical experience suggests that some adults who undergo bariatric surgery have children who are obese. Childhood obesity is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in later life. This study examined the prevalence of obesity among children and grandchildren (< or =12 years of age) of adult bariatric surgery patients. Patients in a prospective database of morbidly obese patients who underwent bariatric surgery between January 2004 and May 2007 were recruited by phone and in clinic. Patient demographics, body mass index (BMI) at surgery, and survey data were collected. The survey included questions regarding their child/grandchild's body habitus, weight, and height. Child obesity was defined as BMI percentile > or =95. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. One hundred twenty-two patients were enrolled in this study (77% women, mean BMI 49 kg/m(2)). One hundred thirty-four out of 233 children/grandchildren identified had complete data; 41% had a BMI percentile > or =95. Only 29% of these obese children were so identified by the adult respondents. Significantly more biological children/grandchildren were obese than nonbiological (p = 0.013), and significantly more biological children were obese than biological grandchildren (p = 0.027). This sample of bariatric surgery patients had a high proportion of obese preteen children/grandchildren. Obesity was most prevalent among biological children (vs. biological grandchildren and nonbiological children). Patients often did not recognize the degree of overweight in their children/grandchildren. Because families of bariatric surgery patients often include obese children, interventions aimed at all family members merit consideration.

  2. Attachment Strategies and Neuroendocrine Biomarkers in Obese Children.

    PubMed

    Pinto, Inês; Wilkinson, Simon; Virella, Daniel; Alves, Marta; Calhau, Conceição; Coelho, Rui

    2016-05-01

    Quality of the parent-infant relationship influences the mechanisms of development of the child's physiological stress regulation. This study explored associations between attachment strategies and both cortisol and thyroid stimulating hormone, hypothesized to be respectively a potential mediator and a potential intervening variable of the mother-child relationship in obese children. A sample of 83 obese children (46 boys), aged 10.9 (1.8) years was recruited from a child obesity clinic. Obesity was defined by body mass index percentile adjusted for age and sex. Metabolic biomarkers were measured by routine methods. Attachment strategies were assessed with self and parent-report questionnaires. Family functioning was assessed with parent-reported questionnaires (FACES-III). Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed. Type A, avoidant attachment strategies, had significant positive association with thyroid stimulating hormone levels and negative association with cortisol levels (R2 = 0.352). Type B, secure attachment strategies, had significant positive associations with both hypothyroidism and body mass index percentile (R2 = 0.541). 'Insecure attachment' (types A and C combined) strategies showed some evidence of positive association with thyroid stimulating hormone (R2 = 0.250). These findings suggest that there may be commonalities in the regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axes. Processes involved in development of the type A attachment strategy appear to be associated with effects on the regulatory mechanisms of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. In obese children, different attachment strategies are associated with diverse metabolic profiles. How this may contribute to developing differentiated treatment approaches remains to be explored.

  3. ADHD symptoms, breast-feeding and obesity in children and adolescents.

    PubMed

    Türkoğlu, Serhat; Bilgiç, Ayhan; Akça, Ömer Faruk

    2015-08-01

    Attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been found to be related to overweight/obesity in children and adolescents, but it is a heterogeneous disorder, and the relationships between the dimensions of ADHD and overweight/obesity are not clear. The aim of this study was to explore which dimensions of the disorder are specifically associated with overweight/obesity. The study sample consisted of 300 treatment-naive children with ADHD and 75 healthy controls aged 7-17 years. The ADHD module of the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version was used to diagnose ADHD. The severity of ADHD symptoms was assessed via Conners' Parent Rating Scale (CPRS). The weight, height, and breast-feeding duration of the study samples and controls were recorded. Body mass index (BMI) was categorized according to the national age/sex-specific reference values. The rate of overweight/obese children was higher in the ADHD group. The association between ADHD symptoms and BMI percentile scores was evaluated using structural equation modeling. In that model, it was observed that the Cognitive Problems/Inattentive and Oppositional subscores of the CPRS had a positive predictive effect on the BMI percentile scores, but breast-feeding duration had a negative predictive effect on the BMI percentile scores. Inattention, oppositionality and breast-feeding duration were associated with overweight/obesity in children and adolescents with ADHD. Longitudinal studies are needed to more fully understand this relationship and the mechanisms underlying the association between ADHD and overweight/obesity. © 2015 Japan Pediatric Society.

  4. Assessment of Vitamin D Status and Response to Vitamin D3 in Obese and Non-Obese Iranian Children.

    PubMed

    Motlaghzadeh, Yasaman; Sayarifard, Fatemeh; Allahverdi, Bahar; Rabbani, Ali; Setoodeh, Aria; Sayarifard, Azadeh; Abbasi, Farzaneh; Haghi-Ashtiani, Mohammad-Taghi; Rahimi-Froushani, Abbas

    2016-08-01

    Obesity seems to be a critical issue nowadays because of its high prevalence and its adverse effects on health. There is some evidence indicating the relationship between obesity and lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration. The aim of the present study was to examine serum 25(OH)D status of obese and non-obese Iranian children and compare their therapeutic response with identical oral vitamin D3 treatment. In a non-randomized clinical trial, serum 25(OH)D level of 45 obese and 45 non-obese Iranian children aged 2-14 years was measured. Those with serum 25(OH)D status <30 ng/ml (73 cases) were treated with one pearl of vitamin D3 (50 000 International Units) once a week for 6 weeks. Serum vitamin D was measured once more 2 weeks after treatment. The frequency of hypovitaminosis D was 43/45 (95.6%) in obese and 30/45 (66.7%) in non-obese children at baseline (p < 0.001). After treatment of 73 cases (43 obese, 30 non-obese), the above percentages were decreased to 24/43 (55.8%) and 1/30 (3.3%), respectively (p < 0.001). Our study demonstrated a high frequency of vitamin D deficiency among Iranian children, particularly the obese ones. Moreover, low therapeutic response in the obese group is witnessed. © The Author [2016]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  5. The psychosocial situation of obese children: Psychological factors and quality of life

    PubMed Central

    Korsten-Reck, U; Korsten, K; Haeberle, K; Kromeyer-Hauschild, K; Dickhuth, H H; Schulz, E

    2009-01-01

    The psychosocial situation of obese children at the beginning of the Freiburg Intervention Trial for Obese Children (FITOC) program influences the course and outcome of intervention therapy. At the beginning of FITOC, mothers of 30 children (12 ♂ age 10.5 ± 1.4, 18 ♀; 10.2 ± 1.3) rated the psychopathological symptoms using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the quality of life of their children (Inventar zur Erfassung der Lebensqualität [ILK]). 46.6% of mothers rated their children to be disturbed (normal population group, 2% disturbed). There was no correlation between the body mass index of the child and the CBCL score. On the ILK, the obese children themselves selected “good” while the mother’s view of their childrens’ quality of life varied around “poor”. The stress on the mother increased with the degree of the child’s obesity and number of critical life events (p = 0.030). The CBCL and the ILK at the beginning of treatment serve as a good screening instrument for psychopathology and distress in children with obesity. PMID:22110318

  6. The Association between Maltreatment and Obesity among Preschool Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whitaker, Robert C.; Phillips, Shannon M.; Orzol, Sean M.; Burdette, Hillary L.

    2007-01-01

    Objective: To determine whether child maltreatment is associated with obesity in preschool children. Methods: Data were obtained from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a birth cohort study of 4898 children born between 1998 and 2000 in 20 large US cities. At 3 years of age, 2412 of these children had their height and weight measured,…

  7. A Review of the Literature on the Social and Environmental Factors Which Influence Children (Aged 3-5 Years) to Be Obese/Overweight and the Accuracy of Parental Perceptions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McMullan, Julie; Keeney, Sinead

    2014-01-01

    Objective: This article aims to review the previously published literature on the social and environmental factors which influence children (aged 3-5 years) to be obese/overweight and the accuracy of parental perceptions. Obesity levels are on the increase in today's society and habits are being passed from parents to children, with family…

  8. Autonomic Dysfunction: A Possible Pathophysiological Pathway Underlying the Association Between Sleep and Obesity in Children At-Risk for Obesity

    PubMed Central

    Jarrin, Denise C.; Poirier, Paul

    2017-01-01

    While mounting evidence suggests that sleep plays an important role in the etiology of obesity, the underlying pathogenic pathways are complex and unresolved. Experimental sleep deprivation studies demonstrate sympathovagal imbalance, indicative of diminished parasympathetic activity and/or heightened sympathetic activity, is consequent to poor sleep. Further, obese children exhibit sympathovagal imbalance, particularly during the night, compared to non-obese children. The question remains whether sympathovagal imbalance is one potential pathophysiological pathway underlying the association between sleep and obesity. The aim of the present study was to examine whether sympathovagal imbalance contributed to the association between sleep and obesity in children. Participants included 564 children aged 10 to 12 years (M = 11.67, SD = 0.95; 43.5 % girls) from the QUALITY Cohort, a longitudinal study of children at-risk for the development of obesity. While children were at-risk due to confirmed parental obesity status, 57.7 % of children were of normal body mass index (5–85th percentile). Sleep duration, sleep timing, and sleep disturbances were based on child- and parent-report. Anthropometrics were measured for central adiposity (waist circumference) and body composition (body mass index, fat mass index). Sympathovagal imbalance was derived from heart rate variability spectral analyses. Estimated path coefficients revealed that sympathovagal imbalance partially contributed to the association between poor sleep (later bedtimes, sleep-disordered breathing) and obesity. These findings highlight the importance of better understanding sympathovagal imbalance and its role in the etiology and maintenance of obesity. Future research should consider investigating nocturnal sympathovagal balance in youth. PMID:25480401

  9. Altered xanthine oxidase and N-acetyltransferase activity in obese children.

    PubMed

    Chiney, Manoj S; Schwarzenberg, Sarah J; Johnson, L'aurelle A

    2011-07-01

    It is well established that oxidative and conjugative enzyme activity differs between obese and healthy-weight adults. However, the effect of obesity on drug metabolism in children has not been studied extensively. This study examined whether obese and healthy-weight children vary with respect to oxidative enzyme activity of CYP1A2, xanthine oxidase (XO) and conjugative enzyme activity of N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2). In vivo CYP1A2, XO and NAT2 activity was assessed in obese (n= 9) and lean (n= 16) children between the ages of 6-10 years using caffeine (118.3 ml Coca Cola®) as probe. Urine samples were collected in 2-h increments over 8 h. Caffeine and metabolites were measured using LC/MS, and urinary metabolic ratios were determined based on reported methods. Sixteen healthy-weight and nine obese children were evaluated. XO activity was elevated in paediatric obese volunteers compared with non-obese paediatric volunteers (XO metabolic ratio of 0.7 ± 0.06 vs. 0.6 ± 0.06, respectively, 95% CI 0.046, 0.154, P < 0.001). NAT2 activity was fivefold higher in the obese (1 ± 0.4) as compared with non-obese children (0.2 ± 0.1), 95% CI 0.26, 1.34, P < 0.05. However, no difference was observed in CYP1A2 activity between the groups (95% CI -2.72, 0.12, P > 0.05). This study provides evidence that obese children have elevated XO and NAT2 enzyme activity when compared with healthy-weight controls. Further studies are needed to determine how this may impact the efficacy of therapeutic agents that may undergo metabolism by these enzymes. © 2011 The Authors. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology © 2011 The British Pharmacological Society.

  10. Analysis of association of gene variants with obesity traits in New Zealand European children at 6 years of age.

    PubMed

    Krishnan, Mohanraj; Thompson, John M D; Mitchell, Edwin A; Murphy, Rinki; McCowan, Lesley M E; Shelling, Andrew N; On Behalf Of The Children Of Scope Study Group, G

    2017-07-25

    Childhood obesity is a public health problem, which is associated with a long-term increased risk of cardiovascular disease and premature mortality. Several gene variants have previously been identified that have provided novel insights into biological factors that contribute to the development of obesity. As obesity tracks through childhood into adulthood, identification of the genetic factors for obesity in early life is important. The objective of this study was to identify putative associations between genetic variants and obesity traits in children at 6 years of age. We recruited 1208 children of mothers from the New Zealand centre of the international Screening for Pregnancy Endpoints (SCOPE) study. Eighty common genetic variants associated with obesity traits were evaluated by the Sequenom assay. Body mass index standardised scores (BMI z-scores) and percentage body fat (PBF; measured by bio-impedance assay (BIA)) were used as anthropometric measures of obesity. A positive correlation was found between BMI z-scores and PBF (p < 0.001, r = 0.756). Two subsets of gene variants were associated with BMI z-scores (HOXB5-rs9299, SH2B1-rs7498665, NPC1-rs1805081 and MSRA-rs545854) and PBF (TMEM18-rs6548238, NPY-rs17149106, ETV-rs7647305, NPY-rs16139, TIMELESS-rs4630333, FTO-rs9939609, UCP2-rs659366, MAP2K5-rs2241423 and FAIM2-rs7138803) in the genotype models. However, there was an absence of overlapping association between any of the gene variants with BMI z-scores and PBF. A further five variants were associated with BMI z-scores (TMEM18-rs6548238, FTO-rs9939609 and MC4R-rs17782313) and PBF (SH2B1-rs7498665 and FTO-rs1421085) once separated by genetic models (additive, recessive and dominant) of inheritance. This study has identified significant associations between numerous gene variants selected on the basis of prior association with obesity and obesity traits in New Zealand European children.

  11. Beverage Consumption Patterns of Children Born at Different Risk of Obesity

    PubMed Central

    Kral, Tanja V.E.; Stunkard, Albert J.; Berkowitz, Robert I.; Stallings, Virginia A.; Moore, Reneé H.; Faith, Myles S.

    2010-01-01

    Background Increased intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juice has been associated with overweight in children. Objective This study prospectively assessed beverage consumption patterns and their relationship with weight status in a cohort of children born at different risk for obesity. Methods and Procedures Participants were children born at low risk (n = 27) or high risk (n = 22) for obesity based on maternal prepregnancy BMI (kg/m2). Daily beverage consumption was generated from 3-day food records from children aged 3–6 years and coded into seven beverage categories (milk, fruit juice, fruit drinks, caloric and noncaloric soda, soft drinks including and excluding fruit juice). Child anthropometric measures were assessed yearly. Results High-risk children consumed a greater percentage of daily calories from beverages at age 3, more fruit juice at ages 3 and 4, more soft drinks (including fruit juice) at ages 3–5, and more soda at age 6 compared to low-risk children. Longitudinal analyses showed that a greater 3-year increase in soda intake was associated with an increased change in waist circumference, whereas a greater increase in milk intake was associated with a reduced change in waist circumference. There was no significant association between change in intake from any of the beverage categories and change in BMI z-score across analyses. Discussion Children’s familial predisposition to obesity may differentially affect their beverage consumption patterns. Future research should examine the extent to which dietary factors may play a role in pediatric body fat deposition over time. PMID:18535546

  12. Geographic differences in overweight and obesity prevalence in Peruvian children, 2010-2015.

    PubMed

    Torres-Roman, J Smith; Urrunaga-Pastor, Diego; Avilez, Jose L; Helguero-Santin, Luis M; Malaga, German

    2018-03-14

    Childhood obesity is emerging as a major public health problem worldwide. To date, most studies of obesity and overweight in Peru are focused on adults, with few of them involving children, a population at a critical stage of development. The trend in overweight and obesity prevalence in Peruvian children under the age of five has not yet been determined. Thus, the objective of the present study is to evaluate the prevalence rates of overweight and obesity between 2010 and 2015 in children under the age of five, stratified by geographical areas in Peru. Data were obtained from the Nutritional Status Information System of Peru. The total number of children evaluated was 14,155,914. For the Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the program Geo Da 1.8® was used to ascertain the spatial distribution of prevalence rates and was mapped for children under five. To assess the degree of spatial dependence, exploratory spatial data analysis was performed using the Moran's I statistic and was assessed with the Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA) analysis to identify geographic concentrations of high and low of obesity and overweight levels. Between 2010 and 2015, the national prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity ranged from 6.2%- 6.8% and 1.5%-2.7%, respectively. The highest prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity was found in 2014 and 2013, respectively. During these years, we observed that obesity decreased, but overweight remained stable. The highest prevalence of overweight and obesity was found in the departments located on the coast. Significant positive spatial autocorrelation was found for both overweight and obesity. The departments with the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity were concentrated in Lima, Callao, Ica, Moquegua and Tacna. The lowest were found in Loreto, Cusco and San Martin. The decrease in obesity and the stabilisation of overweight are positive results for the Peruvian childhood. However, in comparison

  13. Treatment outcomes of obstructive sleep apnoea in obese community-dwelling children: the NANOS study.

    PubMed

    Alonso-Álvarez, María Luz; Terán-Santos, Joaquin; Navazo-Egüia, Ana Isabel; Martinez, Mónica Gonzalez; Jurado-Luque, María José; Corral-Peñafiel, Jaime; Duran-Cantolla, Joaquin; Cordero-Guevara, José Aurelio; Kheirandish-Gozal, Leila; Gozal, David

    2015-09-01

    The first line of treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) in children consists of adenotonsillectomy (T&A). The aim of the present study was to evaluate treatment outcomes of OSAS among obese children recruited from the community.A cross-sectional, prospective, multicentre study of Spanish obese children aged 3-14 years, with four groups available for follow-up: group 1: non-OSAS with no treatment; group 2: dietary treatment; group 3: surgical treatment; and group 4: continuous positive airway pressure treatment.117 obese children (60 boys, 57 girls) with a mean age of 11.3±2.9 years completed the initial (T0) and follow-up (T1) assessments. Their mean body mass index (BMI) at T1 was 27.6±4.7 kg·m(-2), corresponding to a BMI Z-score of 1.34±0.59. Mean respiratory disturbance index (RDI) at follow-up was 3.3±3.9 events·h(-1). Among group 1 children, 21.2% had an RDI ≥3 events·h(-1) at T1, the latter being present in 50% of group 2, and 43.5% in group 3. In the binary logistic regression model, age emerged as a significant risk factor for residual OSAS (odds ratio 1.49, 95% confidence interval 1.01-2.23; p<0.05) in obese children surgically treated, and RDI at T0 as well as an increase in BMI emerged as significant risk factors for persistent OSAS in obese children with dietary treatment (OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.09-3.02 (p<0.03) and OR 8.71, 95% CI 1.24-61.17 (p=0.03)).Age, RDI at diagnosis and obesity are risk factors for relatively unfavourable OSAS treatment outcomes at follow-up. Copyright ©ERS 2015.

  14. Healthy Habits, Happy Homes: randomized trial to improve household routines for obesity prevention among preschool-aged children.

    PubMed

    Haines, Jess; McDonald, Julia; O'Brien, Ashley; Sherry, Bettylou; Bottino, Clement J; Schmidt, Marie Evans; Taveras, Elsie M

    2013-11-01

    Racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities exist across risk factors for childhood obesity. To examine the effectiveness of a home-based intervention to improve household routines known to be associated with childhood obesity among a sample of low-income, racial/ethnic minority families with young children. Randomized trial. The intervention was delivered in the families' homes. The study involved 121 families with children aged 2 to 5 years who had a television (TV) in the room where he or she slept; 111 (92%) had 6-month outcome data (55 intervention and 56 control). The mean (SD) age of the children was 4.0 (1.1) years; 45% were overweight/obese. Fifty-two percent of the children were Hispanic, 34% were black, and 14% were white/other. Nearly 60% of the families had household incomes of $20,000 or less. The 6-month intervention promoted 4 household routines, family meals, adequate sleep, limiting TV time, and removing the TV from the child's bedroom, using (1) motivational coaching at home and by phone, (2) mailed educational materials, and (3) text messages. Control subjects were mailed materials focused on child development. Change in parent report of frequency of family meals (times/wk), child sleep duration (hours/d), child weekday and weekend day TV viewing (hours/d), and the presence of a TV in the room where the child slept from baseline to 6 months. A secondary outcome was change in age- and sex-adjusted body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared). Compared with control subjects, intervention participants had increased sleep duration (0.75 hours/d; 95% CI, 0.06 to 1.44; P = .03), greater decreases in TV viewing on weekend days (-1.06 hours/d; 95% CI, -1.97 to -0.15; P = .02), and decreased body mass index (-0.40; 95% CI, -0.79 to 0.00; P = .05). No significant intervention effect was found for the presence of a TV in the room where the child slept or family meal frequency. Our results suggest that promoting

  15. Fast food intake and prevalence of obesity in school children in Riyadh City.

    PubMed

    Almuhanna, Monira Abdulrahman; Alsaif, Mohammed; Alsaadi, Muslim; Almajwal, Ali

    2014-01-01

    Childhood obesity has become a new challenge for healthcare providers. The issue is not limited to certain parts of the world; its prevalence is increasing worldwide. The causes of obesity are poorly understood and continue to be debated and studied. It is a multifactorial disorder which involves dietary, behavioral, environmental as well as genetic factors. The increased consumption of more energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods with high levels of sugar and saturated fats, combined with reduced physical activity, have led to high obesity rates among children. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of dietary intake on the occurrence of childhood obesity, and study other associated factors including the education, occupation and income of parents and the living status. Normal healthy school girls (n =196) and school boys (n = 85) between the age of 6- 15 were recruited for the study. We found that obesity among children in Riyadh City was significantly associated with fast food intake (p = 0.0280). It was also observed that 72.5% of the overweight or obese students consumed fast food at least 4 times/week, and the other 15.9% were taking fast food 1- 3 times/week, while only 11.6% of the same overweight or obese group did not consume any fast food/ week. Father's and mother's occupations were not significantly correlated to their children's body weight. The prevalence of childhood obesity is changing and increasing yearly and is attributed to the nutritional risk factors for the Saudi school-age children. It is interesting to know that most of overweight or obese school students belonged to the families of highincome. Parents must take necessary precautions for the diet of their children and should adopt healthy life style in order to prevent or manage obesity of their children.

  16. WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative in Serbia: a prevalence of overweight and obesity among 6-9-year-old school children.

    PubMed

    Djordjic, Visnja; Radisavljevic, Snezana; Milanovic, Ivana; Bozic, Predrag; Grbic, Miljana; Jorga, Jagoda; Ostojic, Sergej M

    2016-09-01

    The World Health Organization (WHO) European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) is a public health program established in order to understand the progress of the obesity epidemic in young populations and gain inter-country comparisons within the European region, yet the data from a number of East European countries, including Serbia, were not available then. Therefore, the main aim of this cross-sectional study was to collect data about the prevalence of overweight and obesity among 6-9-year-old school children in Serbia according to the standardized protocol during the Fourth COSI Implementation Round. From September 2015 to November 2015, 5102 first- and second-grade primary-school children (age 7.7±0.6 years) were assessed for weight, height, and body mass index (BMI) in 14 Serbian school districts. The prevalence rates of obesity, as calculated using the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) cut-off points, vary across different age groups, with the lowest obesity rates reported in 7-year-old boys (6.2%), while the highest obesity prevalence rates were observed in 6-year-old boys (9.7%). In addition, being overweight was strongly associated with poor local community development and lower level of urbanization. The overall prevalence of overweight (23.1%, including obesity) and obesity (6.9%) in Serbian primary-school children seem to be comparable to rather high rates previously reported in other countries participating in the COSI program, indicating an obesity epidemic in Serbian children. This surveillance system should be regularly implemented throughout Europe, providing comparable data on rates of overweight/obesity in primary schools that might drive prudent actions to reverse the pandemic trend of childhood obesity.

  17. Dietary Habits and Cardiometabolic Health in Obese Children

    PubMed Central

    Gilardini, Luisa; Croci, Marina; Pasqualinotto, Lucia; Caffetto, Katherine; Invitti, Cecilia

    2015-01-01

    Background Prevalence rates of cardiometabolic risk factors vary largely among overweight children. This study investigated the relationships between dietary habits and cardiometabolic health among obese children living in a city of Northern Italy. Methods Dietary habits were collected in 448 obese subjects aged 6-18 years, attending an obesity outpatient center in Milan. Anthropometry, blood pressure (BP), lipids, fasting and post-load glucose, and insulin were measured. Physical activity was assessed in adolescents using a questionnaire. Results Frequency of glucose intolerance, hypertension and dyslipidemia was 0.7%, 13% and 27.2%, respectively. Plausible reporters consumed more animal protein and sodium and less legumes than recommended in nutritional recommendations and adequate amounts of fiber mainly derived from whole grains. Subjects skipping breakfast had unhealthy diets and greater body fatness. After adjustment for confounders, waist/height and fasting glucose were associated with sodium intake (r =0.149 and r = 0.142, respectively; p < 0.05), 2-hour glucose with fiber (r = −0.172; p < 0.01), and BP with vegetable protein intake (systolic r = −0.120 (p < 0.05); diastolic r = −0.267 (p < 0.01)). Hypertensive children consumed less vegetable protein than normotensive children. Conclusions The cardiometabolic health of obese children improves with vegetable protein and whole grain intake, whereas dysglycemia and adiposity increase with sodium intake. PMID:26087840

  18. Hypertension in Children: Role of Obesity, Simple Carbohydrates, and Uric Acid

    PubMed Central

    Orlando, Antonina; Cazzaniga, Emanuela; Giussani, Marco; Palestini, Paola; Genovesi, Simonetta

    2018-01-01

    Over the past 60 years there has been a dramatic increase in the prevalence of overweight in children and adolescents, ranging from 4% in 1975 to 18% in 2016. Recent estimates indicate that overweight or obese children and adolescents are more than 340 million. Obesity is often associated with hypertension, which is an important cardiovascular risk factor. Recent studies show that the presence of hypertension is a frequent finding in the pediatric age. Hypertensive children easily become hypertensive adults. This phenomenon contributes to increasing cardiovascular risk in adulthood. Primary hypertension is a growing problem especially in children and adolescents of western countries, largely because of its association with the ongoing obesity epidemic. Recently, it has been hypothesized that a dietary link between obesity and elevated blood pressure (BP) values could be simple carbohydrate consumption, particularly fructose, both in adults and in children. Excessive intake of fructose leads to increased serum uric acid (SUA) and high SUA values are independently associated with the presence of hypertension and weaken the efficacy of lifestyle modifications in children. The present review intends to provide an update of existing data regarding the relationship between BP, simple carbohydrates (particularly fructose), and uric acid in pediatric age. In addition, we analyze the national policies that have been carried out over the last few years, in order to identify the best practices to limit the socio-economic impact of the effects of excessive sugar consumption in children. PMID:29774210

  19. Hypertension in Children: Role of Obesity, Simple Carbohydrates, and Uric Acid.

    PubMed

    Orlando, Antonina; Cazzaniga, Emanuela; Giussani, Marco; Palestini, Paola; Genovesi, Simonetta

    2018-01-01

    Over the past 60 years there has been a dramatic increase in the prevalence of overweight in children and adolescents, ranging from 4% in 1975 to 18% in 2016. Recent estimates indicate that overweight or obese children and adolescents are more than 340 million. Obesity is often associated with hypertension, which is an important cardiovascular risk factor. Recent studies show that the presence of hypertension is a frequent finding in the pediatric age. Hypertensive children easily become hypertensive adults. This phenomenon contributes to increasing cardiovascular risk in adulthood. Primary hypertension is a growing problem especially in children and adolescents of western countries, largely because of its association with the ongoing obesity epidemic. Recently, it has been hypothesized that a dietary link between obesity and elevated blood pressure (BP) values could be simple carbohydrate consumption, particularly fructose, both in adults and in children. Excessive intake of fructose leads to increased serum uric acid (SUA) and high SUA values are independently associated with the presence of hypertension and weaken the efficacy of lifestyle modifications in children. The present review intends to provide an update of existing data regarding the relationship between BP, simple carbohydrates (particularly fructose), and uric acid in pediatric age. In addition, we analyze the national policies that have been carried out over the last few years, in order to identify the best practices to limit the socio-economic impact of the effects of excessive sugar consumption in children.

  20. [Are children from resort spa healthy? The overweight and obesity in children from Kudowa-Zdrój].

    PubMed

    Połubok, Joanna; Gonera, Aleksandra; Ubysz, Jakub; Wójcik, Maria; Kozicka, Marta; Barg, Ewa

    2015-12-15

    Overweight and obesity are becoming a more and more common problem among children and teenagers. . The aim of this study is to evaluate the development of children and teenagers from Kudowa-Zdroj and to assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity in this population. . The study included 545 children, aged 5-16 years from Kudowa-Zdroj. The following anthropometric parameters were assessed: body weight and height, BMI, Quetelet index, Rohrer's index, waist circumference, hip circumference and waist to height ratio (WHtR). . Overweight or obesity diagnosed by BMI SDS were observed in 26.7% of children from grades 0-3, 22.02% of children from grades 4-6 and 22.52% of Junior High School students. Students in grades 0-3 (mean 0.95 ± 2.17) achieved higher BMI SDS compared to students in grades 4-6 (mean 0.37 ± 1.71) and secondary school (mean 0.65 ± 1.61) (p= 0.023).Overweight or obesity diagnosed by Rohrer index SDS and Quetelet index SDS were observed in 22,84% and 17,13% children. Elevated value of the hip circumference SDS was found in 19.48% of children and waist circumference SDS was increased in 17.5% of children. In the group of children with overweight and obesity 59.4% had elevated waist circumference SDS and 53.4% waist circumference SDS. WHtR was elevated in 8.3% of children, more often in boys (p <0.001), 3.1% of girls and 13.07% of boys. . The BMI is the best index for diagnosis of overweight and obesity. Overweight and obesity are common disorders among children from Kudowa-Zdroj. It is recommended to educate children, adolescence and their family about healthy lifestyle in order to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity. © Polish Society for Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology.

  1. Risk Factors for Obesity at Age 3 in Alaskan Children, Including the Role of Beverage Consumption: Results from Alaska PRAMS 2005-2006 and Its Three-Year Follow-Up Survey, CUBS, 2008-2009

    PubMed Central

    Wojcicki, Janet M.; Young, Margaret B.; Perham-Hester, Katherine A.; de Schweinitz, Peter; Gessner, Bradford D.

    2015-01-01

    Background Prenatal and early life risk factors are associated with childhood obesity. Alaska Native children have one of the highest prevalences of childhood obesity of all US racial/ethnic groups. Methods Using the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) and the follow-up survey at 3 years of age (CUBS), we evaluated health, behavioral, lifestyle and nutritional variables in relation to obesity (95th percentile for body mass index (BMI)) at 3 years of age. Multivariate logistic regression modeling was conducted using Stata 12.0 to evaluate independent risk factors for obesity in non-Native and Alaska Native children. Results We found an obesity prevalence of 24.9% in all Alaskan and 42.2% in Alaska Native 3 year olds. Among Alaska Native children, obesity prevalence was highest in the Northern/Southwest part of the state (51.6%, 95%CI (42.6-60.5)). Independent predictive factors for obesity at age 3 years in Alaska non-Native children were low income (<$10,000 in the year before the child was born (OR 3.94, 95%CI 1.22--17.03) and maternal pre-pregnancy obesity (OR 2.01, 95%CI 1.01-4.01) and longer duration of breastfeeding was protective (OR 0.95, 95%CI 0.91-0.995). Among Alaska Native children, predictive factors were witnessing domestic violence/abuse as a 3 year-old (OR 2.28, 95%CI 1.17-7.60). Among obese Alaska Native children, there was an increased daily consumption of energy dense beverages in the Northern/Southwest region of the state, which may explain higher rates of obesity in this part of the state. Conclusions The high prevalence of obesity in Alaska Native children may be explained by differences in lifestyle patterns and food consumption in certain parts of the state, specifically the Northern/Southwest region, which have higher consumption of energy dense beverages. PMID:25793411

  2. [Determine and parallel analysis of three kinds of PAEs in serum for obese children].

    PubMed

    Li, Ping; Dai, Xingbi; Dan, Hong; Huang, Xiaohong

    2008-09-01

    To study the serum contents of the PAEs of obese children at the ages of 10 to 12 years, in order to estimate the harm of PAEs on obese children. The contents of three kinds PAEs(DEP, DBP and DEHP) in the serum for two groups of children, including 36 obese children and 36 normal weight children, were determined by the reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method And the average measure value of three kind PAEs between two groups of children were analysed. The median serum levels of PAEs were 0.0032 (DEP), 0.1649 (DBP) and 0.1680 (DEHP) in obese children. And the serum levels of PAEs were 0.0026 (DEP), 0.0359 (DBP) and 0.1063 (DEHP) in normal weight children. The differences of average measure value of DBP and DEHP in three kind PAEs between two groups of children were significant (P < 0.01). The amounts of obese children in high level were more than those of normal weight children, and the constitution ratios in three kinds of PAEs of obese children were higher than those of normal weight children. The differences between two groups of children were significant (P < 0.01). The average levels of DBP and DEHP in serum of obese children were more than those of serum of normal weight children. The amounts of obese children were higher than those of normal weight children in high level content of three kinds of PAEs.

  3. Growth measures among preschool-age Inuit children living in Canada and Greenland.

    PubMed

    Galloway, Tracey; Niclasen, Birgit V L; Muckle, Gina; Young, Kue; Egeland, Grace M

    2012-12-01

    The present study reports findings from a study of preschool-age Inuit children living in the Arctic regions of Canada and Greenland. We compare stature and obesity measures using cutoffs from the Centers for Disease Control and the International Obesity Task Force references. The sample is comprised of 1121 Inuit children (554 boys and 567 girls) aged 3-5 years living in Nunavut (n=376) and Nunavik (n=87), Canada, in the capital city of Nuuk, Greenland (n=86), and in Greenland's remaining towns and villages (n=572). Greenland Inuit children were significantly taller than their Canadian counterparts, with greatest height and weight observed among children from Nuuk. Overall prevalence of stunting was low with the three cutoffs yielding similar values for height-for-age z-scores. Obesity prevalence was higher among Canadian Inuit children than their Greenland counterparts. Inuit children have stature values consistent with those of the Centers for Disease Control reference and low prevalence of stunting, though geographic variability in mean stature values between Canadian and Greenlandic samples likely reflects differences in both socioeconomic status and genetic admixture. Obesity prevalence is high among both Canadian and Greenland Inuit preschoolers, with children living in the city of Nuuk exhibiting lower obesity prevalence than children living in either Nunavut or Nunavik, Canada or Greenland's towns and villages. Varying obesity prevalence may reflect varying degrees of food security in remote locations as well as the influence of stature and sitting height which have not been well studied in young Inuit children.

  4. Associations of Television Content Type and Obesity in Children

    PubMed Central

    Bell, Janice F.

    2010-01-01

    Objectives. We tested the associations of content types of children's television viewing with subsequent body mass index (BMI) to assess the plausibility of different causal pathways. Methods. We used time-use diary data from the Panel Survey of Income Dynamics to measure television viewing categorized by format and educational and commercial content. Analyses were stratified by age because children younger than 7 years are less able to understand the persuasive intent of advertising. BMI z scores in 2002 were regressed on television viewing, sociodemographic variables, mother's BMI, and BMI in 1997 (for older children only). Results. Among children aged 0 to 6 years in 1997, commercial viewing in 1997 was significantly associated with BMI z scores in 2002 in fully adjusted regressions. Among children older than 6 years, commercial viewing in 2002 was associated with 2002 BMI. These results were robust after adjustment for exercise and eating while watching television. Conclusions. The evidence does not support the contention that television viewing contributes to obesity because it is a sedentary activity. Television advertising, rather than viewing per se, is associated with obesity. PMID:20019313

  5. Body Mass Index Is Better than Other Anthropometric Indices for Identifying Dyslipidemia in Chinese Children with Obesity

    PubMed Central

    Jing, Jin; Ma, Jun; Chen, Yajun; Li, Xiuhong; Yang, Wenhan; Guo, Li; Jin, Yu

    2016-01-01

    Background Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) are used in screening and predicting obesity in adults. However, the best identifier of metabolic complications in children with obesity remains unclear. This study evaluated lipid profile distribution and investigated the best anthropometric parameter in association with lipid disorders in children with obesity. Methods A total of 2243 school children aged 7–17 years were enrolled in Guangzhou, China, in 2014. The anthropometric indices and lipid profiles were measured. Dyslipidemia was defined according to the US Guidelines for Cardiovascular Health and Risk Reduction in Children and Adolescents. The association between anthropometry (BMI, WC, and WHR) and lipid profile values was examined using chi-square analysis and discriminant function analysis. Information about demography, physical activity, and dietary intake was provided by the participant children and their parents. Results Children aged 10–14 and 15–17 years old generally had higher triglyceride values but lower median concentration of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol compared with children aged 7–9 years old (all P < 0.001). These lipid parameters fluctuated in children aged 10–14 years old. The combination of age groups, BMI, WC and WHR achieved 65.1% accuracy in determining dyslipidemic disorders. BMI correctly identified 77% of the total dyslipidemic disorders in obese children, which was higher than that by WHR (70.8%) (P< 0.05). Conclusion The distribution of lipid profiles in Chinese children differed between younger and older age groups, and the tendency of these lipid levels remarkably fluctuated during 10 to 14 years old. BMI had better practical utility in identifying dyslipidemia among school-aged children with obesity compared with other anthropometric measures. PMID:26963377

  6. Body Mass Index Is Better than Other Anthropometric Indices for Identifying Dyslipidemia in Chinese Children with Obesity.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Yanna; Shao, Zixian; Jing, Jin; Ma, Jun; Chen, Yajun; Li, Xiuhong; Yang, Wenhan; Guo, Li; Jin, Yu

    2016-01-01

    Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) are used in screening and predicting obesity in adults. However, the best identifier of metabolic complications in children with obesity remains unclear. This study evaluated lipid profile distribution and investigated the best anthropometric parameter in association with lipid disorders in children with obesity. A total of 2243 school children aged 7-17 years were enrolled in Guangzhou, China, in 2014. The anthropometric indices and lipid profiles were measured. Dyslipidemia was defined according to the US Guidelines for Cardiovascular Health and Risk Reduction in Children and Adolescents. The association between anthropometry (BMI, WC, and WHR) and lipid profile values was examined using chi-square analysis and discriminant function analysis. Information about demography, physical activity, and dietary intake was provided by the participant children and their parents. Children aged 10-14 and 15-17 years old generally had higher triglyceride values but lower median concentration of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol compared with children aged 7-9 years old (all P < 0.001). These lipid parameters fluctuated in children aged 10-14 years old. The combination of age groups, BMI, WC and WHR achieved 65.1% accuracy in determining dyslipidemic disorders. BMI correctly identified 77% of the total dyslipidemic disorders in obese children, which was higher than that by WHR (70.8%) (P< 0.05). The distribution of lipid profiles in Chinese children differed between younger and older age groups, and the tendency of these lipid levels remarkably fluctuated during 10 to 14 years old. BMI had better practical utility in identifying dyslipidemia among school-aged children with obesity compared with other anthropometric measures.

  7. [Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in children with and without obesity].

    PubMed

    Guzmán-Guzmán, Iris Paola; Salgado-Bernabé, Aralia Berenice; Muñoz Valle, José Francisco; Vences-Velázquez, Amalia; Parra-Rojas, Isela

    2015-03-09

    Childhood obesity is considered the main risk factor for the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) during childhood, adolescence and adulthood. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of MetS components and its main defining combinations in a sample of school children with and without obesity. A total of 225 children aged 6-12 years, 106 obese and 119 with normal weight were included. MetS was defined by the presence of 3 or more of the following: obesity as a body mass index ≥ 95th percentile, fasting glucose ≥ 100 mg/dL, triglycerides ≥ 150 mg/dL, high density lipoproteins cholesterol (HDL-c)<40 mg/dL and systolic and diastolic blood pressure ≥ 95th percentile. We found MetS components in both groups. Most frequent abnormalities in the obese group included increased levels of HDL-c, triglycerides, fasting glucose and total cholesterol, while increased levels of glucose and total cholesterol, and lower HDL-c levels predominated in the normal weight group. The prevalence of MetS in the obese group was 44.3% and, in normal weight children, it was 0.84%. The 3 main components that defined the MetS in the obese group were obesity/triglycerides/HDL-c (34.0%), obesity/glucose/triglycerides/HDL-c (29.8%) and obesity/glucose/HDL-c (14.9%), while the only combination observed in the normal weight group was glucose/HDL-c/triglycerides. A percentage of 44.3 of obese school children had MetS, and dyslipidemia showed to be strong determinants of MetS. Although the prevalence of MetS was low in children with normal weight, one third of them showed one of the components of MetS. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  8. Respiratory disorders in paediatric age: orthodontic diagnosis and treatment in dysmetabolic obese children and allergic slim children.

    PubMed

    Favero, L; Arreghini, A; Cocilovo, F; Favero, V

    2013-09-01

    Obesity and allergic susceptibility are worsening problems in the most industrialised countries. With different mechanisms, they both lead to a deterioration of children's life quality because they affect the respiratory system, leading to asthma and respiratory disorders such as mouth breathing and obstructive sleep apnoea. The latter are related to specific types of malocclusions that require an early diagnosis and specific multidisciplinary treatment. The purpose of this work is to show the characteristic signs and symptoms of these disorders in children of the two phenotypes (allergic and slim, obese and dysmetabolic). Intercepting such issues allows both pediatricians and paediatric dentists to refer the child to a multidisciplinary team of specialists able to deal, in a holistic way, with both the physical and behavioural causes, and also with the consequences on systemic and craniofacial development in particular. The literature available on this topic in the years between 1997 and 2011 was reviewed, paying special attention to prevention, paediatric visits, diagnostic tools and treatment options for each of the two conditions. Dysmetabolic obese children and allergic slim children have specific respiratory problems during rest and exercise. Mouth breathing and obstructive sleep apnoea are due to an abnormal craniofacial development and can cause serious systemic problems in adulthood. Intercepting early signs of pathognomonic symptoms of sleep aponea and mouth breathing permits to treat children with an early multidisciplinary approach, and allows for proper physical and psychological development of the child.

  9. Neck Circumference as a Predictor of Adiposity among Healthy and Obese Children

    PubMed Central

    Hassan, Nayera E.; Atef, Abeer; El-Masry, Sahar A.; Ibrahim, Amany; Shady, Mones M. Abu; Al-Tohamy, Muhammad; Kamel, Iman H.; Elashry, Galal Ismail Ahmed

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Obesity, particularly in the upper part of body, is a major health problem. Because body mass index (BMI) does not adequately describe regional adiposity, other indices of body fatness are being explored. OBJECTIVES: To determine if neck circumference is a valid measure of adiposity (fat distribution) among group of Egyptian children. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This is a cross sectional study, included 50 obese subjects, aged 7 - 12 years recruited from Endocrine, obesity and Metabolism Pediatric Unit at Children Hospital, Cairo University and 50 healthy children, age and sex matched. All children were subjected to blood pressure assessment (systolic SBP and diastolic DBP), and anthropometric assessment (body weight, height, neck circumference (NC), waist (WC) and hip (HC) circumferences, and skin fold thicknesses at three sites: biceps, triceps and sub scapular. BMI [weight (kg)/height (m2)] was calculated. RESULTS: In healthy females, significant associations were detected between NC and SBP, DBP and all anthropometric measurements. However, in healthy males NC was not significantly associated with BMI, SBP and DBP. In the obese group; both sexes; insignificant association was found between NC and SBP, DBP, BMI and skinfold thickness. CONCLUSION: NC is related to fat distribution among normal healthy female children. However, this relation disappears with increasing adiposity. The results do not support the use of NC as a useful screening tool for childhood obesity. PMID:27275287

  10. Obesity and diet awareness among Polish children and adolescents in small towns and villages.

    PubMed

    Stankiewicz, Marta; Pieszko, Magdalena; Sliwińska, Aleksandra; Małgorzewicz, Sylwia; Wierucki, Łukasz; Zdrojewski, Tomasz; Wyrzykowski, Bogdan; Łysiak-Szydłowska, Wiesława

    2014-03-01

    In addition to genetic predispositions and environmental factors, healthy lifestyle education is very important for children and adolescents. The purpose of this research was to estimate the number of overweight and obese children and adolescents from small towns and villages and to find out an association between health awareness in children and the risk of becoming overweight or obese. The research was conducted in 1,515 healthy children aged 6-18 years from small towns and villages in Poland. Overweight was diagnosed when BMI for age and sex was over the 90th percentile; obesity--when it was over the 95th percentile. The study consisted of a lifestyle interview and anthropometrical measurements. The lifestyle interview was conducted with the use of an anonymous questionnaire form and included questions about food frequency, diet habits and physical activity. The research was analysed using the SAS System for Windows, release 8.02. Overweight status was diagnosed in 9.0% and obesity in 5.1% of respondents. Excess body mass was statistically more frequently diagnosed in girls than in boys aged 14-18 years. Girls of this age group significantly more frequently chose wholemeal bread, smoked sausages, meat and poultry as products that are believed to keep them fit. Older children substantially more often indicated that stress, smoking cigarettes, consuming fatty meat, sweets, being obese, and a lack of physical activity are factors that damage health. Boys spent more time in front of a computer or TV than girls; in the older group of children, the phenomenon even intensified. Awareness of healthy lifestyle behaviour is not sufficient to maintain optimal body mass. Knowledge about proper eating habits is better among girls than among boys, especially in the older age groups. However, in older groups, there was less physical activity due to spending more time in front of TV or the computer. High percentage of obese/overweight children and insufficient knowledge of

  11. Maternal gestational diabetes and childhood obesity at age 9-11: results of a multinational study.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Pei; Liu, Enqing; Qiao, Yijuan; Katzmarzyk, Peter T; Chaput, Jean-Philippe; Fogelholm, Mikael; Johnson, William D; Kuriyan, Rebecca; Kurpad, Anura; Lambert, Estelle V; Maher, Carol; Maia, José A R; Matsudo, Victor; Olds, Timothy; Onywera, Vincent; Sarmiento, Olga L; Standage, Martyn; Tremblay, Mark S; Tudor-Locke, Catrine; Hu, Gang

    2016-11-01

    The aim of this study was to examine the association between maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and childhood obesity at age 9-11 years in 12 countries around the world. A multinational cross-sectional study of 4740 children aged 9-11 years was conducted. Maternal GDM was diagnosed according to the ADA or WHO criteria. Height and waist circumference were measured using standardised methods. Weight and body fat were measured using a portable Tanita SC-240 Body Composition Analyzer. Multilevel modelling was used to account for the nested nature of the data. The prevalence of reported maternal GDM was 4.3%. The overall prevalence of childhood obesity, central obesity and high body fat were 12.3%, 9.9% and 8.1%, respectively. The multivariable-adjusted (maternal age at delivery, education, infant feeding mode, gestational age, number of younger siblings, child unhealthy diet pattern scores, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, sleeping time, sedentary time, sex and birthweight) odds ratios among children of GDM mothers compared with children of non-GDM mothers were 1.53 (95% CI 1.03, 2.27) for obesity, 1.73 (95% CI 1.14, 2.62) for central obesity and 1.42 (95% CI 0.90, 2.26) for high body fat. The positive association was still statistically significant for central obesity after additional adjustment for current maternal BMI but was no longer significant for obesity and high body fat. Maternal GDM was associated with increased odds of childhood obesity at 9-11 years old but this association was not fully independent of maternal BMI.

  12. [Cardiovascular risk in children from 6 to 15 years with exogenous obesity].

    PubMed

    Escudero-Lourdes, Gabriela Virginia; Morales-Romero, Luz Viridiana; Valverde-Ocaña, Concepción; Velasco-Chávez, José Fernando

    2014-01-01

    The cardiovascular risk (CVR) is increasing and it is related to life style and dietary habits; one of the age groups at risk of developing this disease are the obese children. The objective of this study was to assess the CVR in the obese pediatric population in a secondary care unit of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social in San Luis Potosí, México. A cross-sectional study, in which we used Alústiza's scale to measure CVR. We included the total of cases of pediatric obese population in a year. We performed the analysis by each of the variables included in the scale (age, sex, body mass index, family history of diabetes and obesity, alcohol, blood pressure, cholesterol). High CVR was correlated to HDL and glucose, through a statistical analysis with chi-squared. We reviewed a total of 100 medical records of children from 6 to 15 years (52 girls, 48 boys). CVR was low in 26 %, moderate in 14 % and higher in 60 %. A positive history of obesity was found in 26 %; obesity plus diabetes, 16 %; obesity and dyslipidemia, 13 %; hypertension, 11 %. None of the children practiced excercise. We found hypercholesterolemia in 46 %, and hyperglycemia in 34 %. By using chi-squared we found that all variables were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Validated scales are useful to measure CVR in children, in order to take action in a timely fashion and avoid the persistence of risk in adulthood.

  13. Body mass index patterns over 5 y in obese children motivated to participate in a 1-y lifestyle intervention: age as a predictor of long-term success.

    PubMed

    Reinehr, Thomas; Kleber, Michaela; Lass, Nina; Toschke, André Michael

    2010-05-01

    Long-term outcome after lifestyle interventions in obese children is largely unknown but important to improving intervention. The aim was to identify predictors of long-term changes in body mass index (BMI) after lifestyle intervention. Annual changes in the BMI SD score (BMI-SDS) over 5 y in 663 obese children (aged 4-16 y) motivated to participate in an outpatient lifestyle intervention were analyzed. Child-specific longitudinal curves based on multilevel growth curve models (MLMs) over 5 y were estimated depending on patient characteristics (age and sex). The mean decrease in BMI-SDS was 0.36 (95% CI: 0.33, 0.39) at the end of the 1-y intervention and 0.46 (95% CI: 0.36, 0.55) 4 y after the intervention. Change in BMI-SDS in the intervention period predicted long-term outcome after 5 y (P < 0.001). MLMs identified age but not sex as a predictor of the outcome: the youngest children (<8 y) at the onset of the intervention had the greatest decrease in BMI-SDS over 5 y, and the oldest children (>13 y) had the least decrease in BMI-SDS (P < 0.05). Whereas there was a larger reduction in BMI-SDS during the intervention in children aged 8-10 y than in children aged 11-12 y, long-term decrease in BMI-SDS was greater in 11-12-y-old children (P < 0.001). Younger age was associated with the best long-term outcome after participation in the lifestyle intervention, which supports the need for early intervention in childhood obesity. Children aged 8-10 y may need modified intervention, because BMI-SDS increased more in the older children in the long term. However, mean BMI-SDS was significantly lower 4 y after the end of the intervention than at baseline in all age groups. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00435734.

  14. Serum Irisin and Oxytocin Levels as Predictors of Metabolic Parameters in Obese Children.

    PubMed

    Binay, Çiğdem; Paketçi, Cem; Güzel, Savaş; Samancı, Nedim

    2017-06-01

    Irisin and oxytocin can affect energy homeostasis and it has been suggested that they may play an important role in reducing obesity and diabetes. In this study, we aimed to determine the relationship between metabolic parameters (including irisin and oxytocin levels) and anthropometric parameters in obese children. Ninety obese children (mean age, 13.85±1.63 years) and 30 healthy controls (mean age, 14.32±1.58 years) were enrolled in this study. Anthropometric and laboratory parameters (glucose, insulin, lipid, oxytocin, and irisin levels) were analyzed. The serum irisin and oxytocin levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Bioelectrical impedance was used to determine body composition. Irisin level was higher in the patients than in the controls (p=0.018), and this higher irisin level was correlated with increased systolic blood pressure, body mass index, waist/hip ratio, fat percentage, fat mass, glucose level, insulin level, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance. Serum oxytocin level was significantly decreased in obese children compared to the controls (p=0.049). Also, among the 60 obese patients, oxytocin level was significantly lower in patients with than in those without metabolic syndrome (8.65±2.69 vs. 10.87±5.93 ng/L, respectively), while irisin levels were comparable (p=0.049 and p=0.104, respectively). There were no statistically significant relationships between oxytocin or irisin levels and lipid levels (p>0.05). Obese children had significantly higher irisin levels than the healthy controls. Additionally, this study shows for the first time that oxytocin level is significantly lower in obese compared with non-obese children and also lower in obese children with metabolic syndrome compared to those without.

  15. Biochemical Predictors of Early Onset Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Young Children with Obesity.

    PubMed

    Kim, Ju Young; Cho, Jinmin; Yang, Hye Ran

    2018-04-16

    The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and their associated risk factors are not well-established in young children with obesity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of early onset NAFLD and identify its biochemical predictors in obese children aged less than 10 years. Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, laboratory tests, and abdominal ultrasonography (USG) were performed in all subjects. National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III) criteria for MS diagnosis and liver enzymes and USG for NAFLD diagnosis were assessed. A total of 356 children with obesity (233 boys, 123 girls) were included, with 172 children age ≤ 10 years and 184 adolescents. The prevalence of MS was 23.3% in young children and 35.3% in adolescents (P = 0.020); while the prevalence of NAFLD was 36.0% and 70.7%, respectively (P = 0.001). In obese children aged 10 years or less, there were significant differences in levels of serum γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (γGT) (P < 0.001), triglycerides (P = 0.042), and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (P < 0.001) between the non-NAFLD and the NAFLD group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed significant increase in serum γGT and uric acid levels in young children. Although MS and NAFLD were more prevalent in adolescents, young children also demonstrated MS and NAFLD as obesity-related complications. Elevated serum γGT and uric acid levels may serve as biochemical predictors in detecting NAFLD in young children with obesity before investigation with abdominal USG. © 2018 The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences.

  16. The Relationship between Obesity, Sleep and Physical Activity in Chinese Preschool Children

    PubMed Central

    Ji, Meimei; Tang, Amber; Zhang, Yefu; Zou, Jiaojiao; Zhou, Guangyu; Deng, Jing; Yang, Lina; Li, Mingzhi; Chen, Jihua; Qin, Hong

    2018-01-01

    Background: Pediatric overweight and obesity has become a major public health problem in China. The goal of this study is to understand overweight and obesity in preschool children in Changsha City in the context of their sleep and physical activity. These results offer feasible proposals to reduce levels of overweight and obesity among preschool children. Methods: A total of 112 preschoolers aged three to six years old were investigated using multiple stage stratified cluster sampling and simple random sampling. Questionnaires were used to collect general information about children and their families. Body mass index (BMI) was used as an indicator of overweight and obesity. Age- and sex-specific cutoff values for Chinese children and adolescents were used to determine child weight status. Children’s sedentary time was reported by caregivers, while physical activity and sleep were recorded using fitness bracelets (Misfit Shine 2). Results: The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity were 15.2% and 9.8% respectively. Preschool-aged children travelled 11,111 ± 3357 and 10,350 ± 2973 steps per day on weekdays and weekends respectively. The number of daily steps was not statistically different between weekdays and weekends. The amount of time spent daily doing vigorous activity on weekdays and weekends was significantly different, with an average time of 20.5 ± 31.6 min and 10.3 ± 15.3 min respectively (p = 0.002). Furthermore, 10.7% and 50.9% of children used screens for more than two hours on weekdays and weekends respectively (p < 0.001). Children slept for significantly longer on weekends (8.3 ± 0.9 h) than on weekdays (8.1 ± 0.7 h) (p = 0.037). A significantly higher proportion of students also fell asleep before 10:00 p.m. on weekends (26.8%) compared to weekdays (15.2%) (p < 0.001). Parent’s BMI values were positively correlated with child BMI, the monthly household income was negatively associated with child BMI. Male children were more likely

  17. [Obesity in children: new controversies and present prevention measures].

    PubMed

    Moraru, Evelina; Luchian, Ana-Maria; Bozomitu, Laura; Rusu, Tania; Sacaci, Paula; Antonesei, Luiza; Stana, B A; Tugurlan, Demetra Simona; Grudnicki, Alice; Popoiu, Anne-Marie; Ozkan, Mirçan; Moraru, D

    2006-01-01

    The authors realise a synthesis on classical data and recent pathogenic explanations in childhood obesity. The obesity is a nutritional disorder of great interest nowadays and surpasses the incidence of the major problem of pediatrics until now--the malnutrition. There is documented data concerning the global incidence of obesity which is continuously growing when it comes to children. That is why the prophylaxis must become a priority by using measures in the first period of life (natural feeding, the need of late diversification, the avoidance of hyperproteic diets). The recent pathogenic data and the long term populational studies change the old conceptions regarding the risk of some categories of children. Thus mother's malnutrition, the low birth weight, children that followed hyperproteic diets paradoxically represent categories of risk for obesity. A recent recorded phenomenon, which amplifies the risk for obesity is the early adiposity rebound which is recorded nowadays even for ages lower than five years. There are described the hormonal mechanisms involved in appetite and satiety up to the receptor level: leptin, ghrelin, adiponectin, endocannabinoid receptors. There are pointed out all the long term risk elements (high birth weight, low birth weight, the pregnant woman's nutrition) and the modern medical treatments for obesity.

  18. Prevalence and factors associated with childhood overweight/obesity of private school children in Nepal.

    PubMed

    Koirala, M; Khatri, R B; Khanal, V; Amatya, A

    2015-01-01

    Childhood overweight/obesity is a global health problem because of adverse health and nutrition consequences worldwide. Currently, there is a paucity of information on childhood overweight/obesity in Nepal. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of, and the factors associated with, childhood overweight/obesity among primary school children. A cross-sectional study was conducted in June-December, 2013. We collected data using the structured self-administered questionnaire with parents of children aged 6-13 years in grades 1-6 studying at private schools of the Lalitpur district of Nepal. Height and weight measurements of 986 children were taken, and the corresponding body mass index (BMI)-for-age was calculated. The prevalence of childhood overweight/obesity was reported in proportion. Factors associated with childhood overweight/obesity were examined using the Chi-square tests followed by multiple logistic regression analyses. Of 986 children, 144 (14.6%) were overweight and 111 (11.3%) were obese. Overall, 255 (25.9%) children were found to be overweight/obese. Children from families, having ≤2 siblings (adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=1.958, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.163-3.296), upper class family (aOR=3.672; 95% CI: 1.154-11.690), and advantaged ethnic group (aOR=1.561; 95% CI: 1.00-2.437) and children who were of larger birth weight (>4.0kg) had a greater likelihood of being (aOR=2.557, 95% CI: 1.222-5.349) overweight/obese. A quarter of children were found to be overweight/obese in private primary schools. Preventive interventions should focus on the advantaged ethnic groups, families with fewer siblings, and upper class families. A greater emphasis ought to be placed on formulation and implementation of policies aimed at addressing the newly emerging problems of childhood overweight/obesity in Nepal. New school health programs are to be launched and strengthened including avoidance of high energy junk food, and promoting outdoor

  19. The energy cost of playing active video games in children with obesity and children of a healthy weight.

    PubMed

    O'Donovan, C; Roche, E F; Hussey, J

    2014-08-01

    Increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary behaviour form a large part of the treatment of paediatric obesity. However, many children today spend prolonged periods of time playing sedentary video games. Active video games (AVGs) represent a novel and child friendly form of physical activity. To measure the energy cost of playing two AVGs in children with obesity and healthy age- and gender-matched children. The energy cost of gaming and heart rates achieved during gaming conditions were compared between groups. AVG play can result in light-to-moderate intensity physical activity (2.7-5.4 metabolic equivalents). When corrected for fat-free mass those with obesity expended significantly less energy than healthy weight peers playing Nintendo Wii Fit Free Jogging (P = 0.017). No significant difference was seen between groups in the energy cost of playing Boxing. Certain AVGs, particularly those that require lower limb movement, could be used to increase total energy expenditure, replace more sedentary activities, or achieve moderate intensity physical activity among children with obesity. There seems to be some differences in how children with obesity and children of a healthy weight play AVGs. This could result in those with obesity expending less energy than their lean peers during AVG play. © 2013 The Authors. Pediatric Obesity © 2013 International Association for the Study of Obesity.

  20. Trends of overweight and obesity among white and American Indian school children in South Dakota, 1998-2010.

    PubMed

    Hearst, Mary O; Biskeborn, Kristin; Christensen, Mathew; Cushing, Carrie

    2013-01-01

    To investigate the prevalence of overweight and obesity among white and American Indian children in a predominantly rural state. Using a repeated, cross-sectional design of school children's height and weight, the study sample included 361,352 measures of children who were 5.0-19.9 years, attending school across 13 academic calendar years. Trained staff measured height, weight, and recorded gender, age, and race. Data were voluntarily reported to the State Department of Health. American Indian children consistently had higher rates of overweight and obesity compared to white children. Across the years, 16.3% of white students were overweight, whereas 19.3% of American Indian students were overweight. In addition, 14.5% of white children were obese and 25.9% of American Indian children were obese. Examining by rural versus urban schools, prevalence of overweight had been increasing among white male and female students and American Indian female students living in rural areas. Obesity is also increasing among rural white females and male and female American Indian children. The findings here suggest that although American Indian children are at higher risk, in general, compared to white children, rural populations in general are experiencing increases in childhood overweight and obesity. Targeted rural interventions beginning at an early age are necessary to improve the health of rural children, especially in American Indian communities. Copyright © 2013 The Obesity Society.

  1. [Hyperuricaemia and metabolic syndrome in obese children and adolescents].

    PubMed

    Castillo-Durán, Carlos; Sepúlveda A, Cecilia; Espinoza G, Aníbal; Rebollo G, María Jesús; Le Roy O, Catalina

    2016-01-01

    Hyperuricaemia has been suggested as an additional metabolic factor in adult obese patients, but it has not been sufficiently studied in paediatric. To assess the relationship between serum uric acid levels (SUAL) with the level of general and visceral obesity, and other biochemical parameters in children and adolescents of Santiago, Chile. A cross sectional study was conducted on 770 children and adolescents (ages: 6-15 y.) from a public school in Santiago, Chile, of whom 227 (29%) were obese (BMI>2 SD, WHO growth standards). Ninety subjects were randomly selected and 77 with no other chronic disease (41 males) accepted to participate. Data was collected on weight, stature, abdominal circumference (AC), visceral adiposity using ultrasound, and other biochemical measurements including fasting glucose, insulin, serum lipids, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and SUAL. The mean SUAL was 0.200±0.065 mmol/L, and was increased in children with hyperinsulinism (adjusted by age: 0.221±0.075 vs. 0.183±0.054 mmol/L; P<.01), with no significant differences according to HOMA. Differences were also found between children with ALT>or<26 U/mL: 0.238±0.070 vs. 0.178±0.054 mmol/L, P<.001. The logistic regression showed the increased SUAL was only associated with increased ALT. No significant differences were found in general or visceral adiposity measurements or fatty liver. Children and adolescents from Santiago, Chile have higher uric acid serum uric acid levels as well as an association with increased ALT and insulin. It is demonstrated in this study that uric acid should be measured in obese children and adolescents, and in their follow up. Copyright © 2015 Sociedad Chilena de Pediatría. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  2. The positive association between number of children and obesity in Iranian women and men: results from the National Health Survey.

    PubMed

    Bakhshi, Enayatollah; Eshraghian, Mohammad Reza; Mohammad, Kazem; Foroushani, Abbas Rahimi; Zeraati, Hojat; Fotouhi, Akbar; Siassi, Fraidon; Seifi, Behjat

    2008-06-15

    To date, few studies have assessed the association between the number of children and obesity in couples. We aimed to investigate this association in men and women aged 20-75 years. Data from the National Health Survey were considered in this investigation. It included 2728 women and men (1364 couples) aged 20-75 years. Height and weight were actually measured rather than self-reported. A generalized estimating equation model was used to estimate the odds of obesity (body mass index (BMI > or = 30)) as a function of the number of children adjusted for age, sex, education, economic index, workforce, smoking and place of residence. We infer that each additional child has at least 5% and at most 34% increase in the odds of obesity in men and at least 4% and at most 29% increase in the odds of obesity in women. Our test of interaction by sex showed that the association between the number of children and obesity was not different among men and women. Among women, factors that increased obesity included age, low education, having more children, being inactive workforce and being nonsmoker. Among men, these factors included high economic index, low education, having more children, and being nonsmoker. Our results show an association between the number of children and obesity among men. We would recommend interventions to reduce the number of children to prevent obesity in men.

  3. Children's understandings’ of obesity, a thematic analysis

    PubMed Central

    Fielden, Amy L.; Sillence, Elizabeth; Little, Linda

    2011-01-01

    Childhood obesity is a major concern in today's society. Research suggests the inclusion of the views and understandings of a target group facilitates strategies that have better efficacy. The objective of this study was to explore the concepts and themes that make up children's understandings of the causes and consequences of obesity. Participants were selected from Reception (4–5 years old) and Year 6 (10–11 years old), and attended a school in an area of Sunderland, in North East England. Participants were separated according to age and gender, resulting in four focus groups, run across two sessions. A thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) identified overarching themes evident across all groups, suggesting the key concepts that contribute to children's understandings of obesity are “Knowledge through Education,” “Role Models,” “Fat is Bad,” and “Mixed Messages.” The implications of these findings and considerations of the methodology are discussed in full. PMID:21897830

  4. Insulin resistance, body composition, and fat distribution in obese children with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

    PubMed

    Yang, Hye Ran; Chang, Eun Jae

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of body composition, especially distribution of body fat, and insulin resistance on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in obese children. One hundred obese children (66 boys, 34 girls) with (n=60) and without NAFLD (n=40) were assessed. Anthropometry, laboratory tests, abdominal ultrasonography, and dual energy x-ray absorption metry (DXA) were evaluated in all subjects. Subject age and measurements of liver enzymes, γ- glutamyl transpeptidase (γGT), uric acid, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and insulin resistance were significantly different between the non-NAFLD group and NAFLD group. Body fat and trunk fat percentage were significantly different between the two groups (p<0.001 and p=0.003), whereas extremity fat percentage was not (p=0.683). Insulin resistance correlated significantly with body fat and trunk fat percentages, age, liver enzymes, γGT, and uric acid in obese children. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that insulin resistance and trunk fat percentage significantly affected the development of NAFLD in obese children. Body fat, especially abdominal fat, influences the development of insulin resistance and subsequent NAFLD in obese children. Therefore, body composition measurement using DXA, in conjunction with biochemical tests, may be beneficial in evaluating obese children with NAFLD.

  5. Knowledge and attitudes towards obesity among primary school children in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

    PubMed

    Njelekela, Marina A; Muhihi, Alfa; Mpembeni, Rose N M; Anaeli, Amani; Chillo, Omary; Kubhoja, Sulende; Lujani, Benjamin; Ngarashi, Davis; Maghembe, Mwanamkuu

    2015-01-01

    Childhood obesity has increased over the past two decades. Child obesity is likely to persist through adulthood and increases the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) later in life. This study assessed knowledge and attitudes towards obesity among primary school children in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. A cross-sectional study was conducted in randomly selected primary schools in Dar es Salaam. A structured questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge and attitudes. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were taken using standard procedures. A total of 446 children were included in the analysis. The mean age of the participants was 11.1 ± 2.0 years. The mean body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were 16.6 ± 4.0 kg/m(2), 103.9 ± 10.3 mmHg and 65.6 ± 8.2 mmHg, respectively. Prevalence of obesity (defined as BMI >95(th) percentile for age and sex) was 5.2%. Half of the children (51.1%) had heard about obesity from teachers at school (20%), radio (19.4%) and books/newspaper (17.3%). Less than half (45.4%) had knowledge about the risk factors for childhood obesity and correctly defined obesity (44.6%). However, a good number of the children (72.1%) were aware that they can be affected by obesity. Majority of them had negative attitude towards obesity and various factors leading to or resulting from childhood obesity. Knowledge about childhood obesity among primary school children is moderate and have negative attitude towards obesity. Integrating educational programs early in primary schools may be an effective strategy to impact knowledge about obesity and other non-communicable diseases early in childhood.

  6. PREVALENCE OF CHILDHOOD OBESITY AND UNDERNUTRITION AMONG URBAN SCHOOL CHILDREN IN BANGLADESH.

    PubMed

    Sultana, Niru; Afroz, Sadya; Tomalika, Nehlin; Momtaz, Hasina; Kabir, Md Humayun

    2018-04-10

    SummaryDespite the ongoing problems of undernutrition and infectious disease, obesity and overweight have become a major problem in developing countries, including Bangladesh. This cross-sectional study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of obesity, overweight and underweight among school children aged 6-12 years in Bangladesh. The study was conducted from June 2012 to May 2013 and the study sample comprised 1768 children (980 boys; 788 girls) from eight purposively selected schools in different areas of Dhaka city. Students were interviewed about their diet and physical activity, and anthropometric measurements were made, including height, weight, mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC), waist circumference, hip circumference and body mass index (BMI). Undernutrition, overweight and obesity were defined using internationally accepted BMI cut-off points. Mean height, weight, BMI, MUAC, waist circumference and hip circumference values were found to be higher in boys than in girls, except at age 12 when these were found to be significantly higher in girls than in boys (p<0.05). The mean prevalence of overweight was 10.0% (boys 10.2%; girls 9.8%), and that of obesity 5.0% (boys 4.3%; girls 5.8%). The prevalence of underweight was 16.3% in boys and 12.7% in girls. The prevalence of underweight was significantly higher in poor than in rich children (22.1% vs 11.2%) and that of obesity was higher in rich than in poor children (9.9% vs 1.3%; p<0.001). A family history of obesity and hypertension emerged as a significant predictor of developing overweight and obesity (p<0.001). The data suggest that underweight and obesity co-exist in urban areas of Bangladesh, posing a challenge for the nutritional health of Bangladeshi children.

  7. Is urolithiasis in children associated with obesity or malnutrition?

    PubMed

    Selimoğlu, Mukadder Ayşe; Menekşe, Engin; Tabel, Yılmaz

    2013-03-01

    Although it is known that obesity predisposes to urolithiasis, a tendency for malnutrition in children with urolithiasis owing to recurrent urinary infections and abdominal pain also makes sense. In this study, we aimed to determine the nutritional status of infants and children with urolithiasis, and to observe whether obesity or malnutrition is more prevalent in that population. One hundred eighty-seven children aged 4 months to 17 years (mean, 4.9 ± 4.4 years) with urolithiasis, and 278 age- and sex-matched children without any chronic diseases were included. Anthropometric evaluations, including weight and height standard deviation score (SDS), body mass index, and triceps and subscapular skinfold thickness (SFT), were performed. Mean weight SDSs of the patients was statistically lower than that of the control subjects (P < .0001). Malnutrition rate was statistically higher in the patients with urolithiasis when evaluated according to weight SDS and percentiles of body mass index and SFT. When the age factor was taken into account, the percentage of malnutrition, determined by the percentiles of triceps and subscapular SFT measurements, was found to be higher in children younger than 2 years. Short stature was more prevalent in older children. Malnutrition among children with urolithiasis is not as rare as thought previously. A careful anthropometric evaluation should be included in the clinical assessment of those children. Copyright © 2013 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Prevalence and incidence of overweight and obesity among Vietnamese preschool children: a longitudinal cohort study.

    PubMed

    Do, Loan Minh; Tran, Toan Khanh; Eriksson, Bo; Petzold, Max; Ascher, Henry

    2017-06-19

    A plateau in childhood overweight and obesity has been reported in some developed countries while in almost all developing countries this problem is on the rise. The aim of this paper is to describe the changes in prevalence of overweight and obesity within a cohort of preschool children followed for 3 years, and to estimate and compare the incidences in urban and rural children of Hanoi, Vietnam. A longitudinal study of a cohort of 2677 children aged 3 to 6 years old at the beginning of the study was conducted in urban DodaLab and rural FilaBavi, Hanoi, Vietnam. Overall, 2602 children, 1311 urban and 1291 rural, were followed for 3 years with identical measurements of weight and height in 2013, 2014 and 2016. Standard methods were used to estimate prevalence and incidence as well as confidence intervals. During the three-year follow-up, the overall estimated prevalence of overweight increased from 9.1% to 16.7%. For the urban children, the increase was considerably higher. The overall prevalence of obesity decreased from 6.4% to 4.5% with less decrease in the urban children. In the group of children who were overweight and obese at the start of the study, 41.4% and 30.7%, respectively, remained in the same state three years later. The incidence of overweight and obesity during the three years were 12.4% and 2.7%, respectively. Boys were more likely to develop obesity than girls. Already in preschool age, the prevalence of overweight is high and it continues to increase with age, especially in the urban area. Prevention and intervention programs need to start at early preschool age and actions in urban areas deserve priority.

  9. Sleep habits, food intake, and physical activity levels in normal and overweight and obese Malaysian children.

    PubMed

    Firouzi, Somayyeh; Poh, Bee Koon; Ismail, Mohd Noor; Sadeghilar, Aidin

    2014-01-01

    This study aimed to determine the association between sleep habits (including bedtime, wake up time, sleep duration, and sleep disorder score) and physical characteristics, physical activity level, and food pattern in overweight and obese versus normal weight children. Case control study. 164 Malaysian boys and girls aged 6-€“12 years. Anthropometric measurements included weight, height, waist circumference, and body fat percentage. Subjects divided into normal weight (n = 82) and overweight/obese (n = 82) group based on World Health Organization 2007 BMI-for-age criteria and were matched one by one based on ethnicity, gender, and age plus minus one year. Questionnaires related to sleep habits, physical activity, and food frequency were proxy-reported by parents. Sleep disorder score was measured by Children Sleep Habit Questionnaire. Sleep disorder score and carbohydrate intake (%) to total energy intake were significantly higher in overweight/obese group (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). After adjusting for age and gender, sleep disorder score was correlated with BMI (r = 0.275, p < 0.001), weight (r = 0.253, p < 0.001), and WC (r = 0.293, p < 0.001). Based on adjusted odd ratio, children with shortest sleep duration were found to have 4.5 times higher odds of being overweight/obese (odd ratio: 4.536, 95% CI: 1.912-€“8.898) compared to children with normal sleep duration. The odds of being overweight/obese in children with sleep disorder score higher than 48 were 2.17 times more than children with sleep disorder score less than 48. Children who sleep lees than normal amount, had poor sleep quality, and consumed more carbohydrates were at higher risk of overweight/obesity. © 2014 Asian Oceanian Association for the Study of Obesity . Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. High risk for obesity in children with a subtype of developmental coordination disorder.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Yi-Ching; Cairney, John; Li, Yao-Chuen; Chen, Wei-Ying; Chen, Fu-Chen; Wu, Sheng K

    2014-07-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of overweight and obesity in typically developing (TD) children, children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and balance problems (DCD-BP), and children with DCD without balance problems (DCD-NBP). Two thousand and fifty-seven children (1095 boys, 962 girls) ages 9-12 years were recruited from 18 elementary schools in Taiwan. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children was used to assess motor coordination ability. International cut-off points for body mass index were used to classify participants into the following groups: normal-weight, overweight or obese. Compared with TD children, children in the DCD-BP group were more than twice as likely to be obese (OR=2.28; 95% CI=1.41-3.68). DCD-BP children were also more likely to be obese compared to DCD-NBP children (OR=1.79; 95% CI=1.02-3.16). Boys in the DCD-BP group were more likely to be obese when compared to DCD-BP girls (OR=3.12; 95% CI=1.28-7.57). Similarly, DCD-NBP boys were more likely to be obese when compared to DCD-NBP girls (OR=2.67; 95% CI=1.21-5.89). Children with both DCD and BP were significantly more likely to be obese when compared to TD and DCD-NBP children. From an intervention perspective, the inclusion of regular physical activity, including activities that encourage development of both balance and energy expenditure, may be required to prevent obesity in this population. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Inflammatory markers and obstructive sleep apnea in obese children: the NANOS study.

    PubMed

    Gileles-Hillel, Alex; Alonso-Álvarez, María Luz; Kheirandish-Gozal, Leila; Peris, Eduard; Cordero-Guevara, José Aurelio; Terán-Santos, Joaquin; Martinez, Mónica Gonzalez; Jurado-Luque, María José; Corral-Peñafiel, Jaime; Duran-Cantolla, Joaquin; Gozal, David

    2014-01-01

    Obesity and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) are common coexisting conditions associated with a chronic low-grade inflammatory state underlying some of the cognitive, metabolic, and cardiovascular morbidities. To examine the levels of inflammatory markers in obese community-dwelling children with OSA, as compared to no-OSA, and their association with clinical and polysomnographic (PSG) variables. Methods. In this cross-sectional, prospective multicenter study, healthy obese Spanish children (ages 4-15 years) were randomly selected and underwent nocturnal PSG followed by a morning fasting blood draw. Plasma samples were assayed for multiple inflammatory markers. 204 children were enrolled in the study; 75 had OSA, defined by an obstructive respiratory disturbance index (RDI) of 3 events/hour total sleep time (TST). BMI, gender, and age were similar in OSA and no-OSA children. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) levels were significantly higher in OSA children, with interleukin-6 concentrations being higher in moderate-severe OSA (i.e., AHI > 5/hrTST; P < 0.01), while MCP-1 levels were associated with more prolonged nocturnal hypercapnia (P < 0.001). IL-6, MCP-1, and PAI-1 are altered in the context of OSA among community-based obese children further reinforcing the proinflammatory effects of sleep disorders such as OSA. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01322763.

  12. Postnatal BMI changes in children with different birthweights: A trial study for detecting early predictive factors for pediatric obesity

    PubMed Central

    Nakagawa, Yuichi; Nakanishi, Toshiki; Satake, Eiichiro; Matsushita, Rie; Saegusa, Hirokazu; Kubota, Akira; Natsume, Hiromune; Shibata, Yukinobu; Fujisawa, Yasuko

    2018-01-01

    Abstract. The purpose of this study was to clarify the degree of early postnatal growth by birthweight and detect early predictive factors for pediatric obesity. Body mass index (BMI) and degree of obesity were examined in children in the fourth year of elementary school and second year of junior high school. Their BMI at birth and three years of age were also examined. Based on birthweight, participants were divided into three groups: low (< 2500 g), middle (2500–3500 g), and high (> 3500 g). Furthermore, according to the degree of obesity, they were divided into two groups: obese (20% ≤) and non-obese (20% >). The change of BMI from birth to three years of age (ΔBMI) showed a strong inverse relationship with birthweight and was significantly different among the three birthweight groups (low > middle > high). The ΔBMI and BMI at three years of age were higher in obese than in non-obese children and showed significant positive correlations with the degree of obesity. Early postnatal growth might be determined by birthweight and was higher in obese than in non-obese children. The ΔBMI from birth to three years of age and BMI at age of three years could be predictive factors for pediatric obesity. PMID:29403153

  13. Associations between obesity and developmental functioning in pre-school children: a population-based study.

    PubMed

    Mond, J M; Stich, H; Hay, P J; Kraemer, A; Baune, B T

    2007-07-01

    To examine associations between obesity and impairment in developmental functioning in a general population sample of pre-school children. Standardized medical examinations were conducted in nine consecutive cohorts of male and female children (n=9415) aged between 4.4 and 8.6 years (mean=6.0, s.d.=0.37) residing in the Lower Bavaria region of Germany. Tests designed to assess performance in subdivisions representing four broad developmental domains, namely, motor development, speech development, cognitive development and psycho-social development, were completed by all participants. Boys had significantly higher rates of impairment than girls. The prevalence of obesity in boys was 2.4%, whereas in girls it was 4.3% (chi (2)=21.51, P< 0.01). After controlling for age, gender, year of recruitment and other potential covariates, the prevalence of impairment in gross motor skills was higher among obese male children than normal-weight male children (adjusted odds ratio=1.76, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.02, 3.01, P< 0.05), whereas the prevalence of impairment in the ability to focus attention was higher in obese female children than normal-weight female children (adjusted odds ratio=1.86, 95% CI=1.00, 3.44, P< 0.05). The findings suggest that gender-specific associations between obesity and impairment in specific aspects of developmental functioning may be evident in younger children.

  14. 3. Management and prevention of obesity and its complications in children and adolescents.

    PubMed

    Batch, Jennifer A; Baur, Louise A

    2005-02-07

    Obesity in children and adolescents has reached alarming levels--20%-25% of children and adolescents are overweight or obese, and 4.9% of boys and 5.4% of girls are obese. Rates of obesity have increased significantly in Australia from 1985 to 1995, with the prevalence of overweight doubling and obesity trebling. Body mass index (related to reference standards for age and sex) is recommended as a practical measure of overweight and obesity in children, and is used in monitoring individual progress in clinical practice. Obesity in childhood and adolescence may be associated with a range of medical and psychological complications, and can predispose individuals to serious health problems in adult life, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Obesity interventions for which there is some evidence include family support, a developmentally appropriate approach, long-term behaviour modification, dietary change, and increased physical activity and decreased sedentary behaviour. Prevention of obesity in children and adolescents requires a range of strategies involving changes in both the microenvironment (eg, housing, neighbourhoods, recreational opportunities) and the macroenvironment (eg, food marketing, transport systems, urban planning).

  15. Association of extracurricular sports participation with obesity in Greek children.

    PubMed

    Antonogeorgos, G; Papadimitriou, A; Panagiotakos, D B; Priftis, K N; Nicolaidou, P

    2011-03-01

    Childhood obesity has become a modern epidemic with escalating rates. The aim of our study was the assessment of the association between extracurricular sports participation with the obesity status among Greek schoolchildren aged 10-12 years. Seven-hundred children (323 boys) aged 10-12 years were evaluated through a standardized questionnaire. Several lifestyle, dietary and physical activity attributes were recorded. Children according to the median hours of participation in after-school structured physical activity were classified as participating for more or less than 3 hours per week. Body height and mass were measured and body mass index was calculated in order to classify children as overweight or obese according to IOTF classification. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used in order to evaluate the association between the participation of more than 3 hours per week in structured physical activity after school with overweight or obesity. A total of 48.9% of the boys and 31.8% of the girls were participating for more than 3 hours per week (P<0.001) in extracurricular sport activities. Moreover, 33.9 % of the boys and 22.1 % of the girls were classified as overweight and 9.4% of the boys and 8.6% of the girls as obese (P=0.006). Girls who participated in excess of 3 hours in extracurricular sport activities were 59% less likely to be overweight or obese than their non participating counterparts, adjusted for several confounders (adjusted OR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.20-0.83). Participation in extracurricular sports activity is inversely related to overweight or obesity in 10-12 years old Greek girls.

  16. Metabolic syndrome in overweight and obese Japanese children.

    PubMed

    Yoshinaga, Masao; Tanaka, Satoru; Shimago, Atsushi; Sameshima, Koji; Nishi, Junichiro; Nomura, Yuichi; Kawano, Yoshifumi; Hashiguchi, Jun; Ichiki, Takeo; Shimizu, Shinichiro

    2005-07-01

    To determine the prevalence of and sex differences related to the metabolic syndrome among obese and overweight elementary school children. Subjects were 471 overweight or obese Japanese children. Children meeting at least three of the following five criteria qualified as having the metabolic syndrome: abdominal obesity, elevated blood pressure, low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels, high triglyceride levels, and high fasting glucose levels. Fasting insulin levels were also examined. Japanese obese children were found to have a significantly lower prevalence (17.7%) of the metabolic syndrome than U.S. obese adolescents (28.7%, p = 0.0014). However, Japanese overweight children had a similar incidence (8.7%) of the metabolic syndrome compared with U.S. overweight adolescents (6.8%). Hyperinsulinemia in girls and abdominal obesity in boys are characteristic features of individual metabolic syndrome factors in Japanese children. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome is not lower in preteen Japanese overweight children than in U.S. overweight adolescents, although it is significantly lower in Japanese obese preteen children than in U.S. obese adolescents. Primary and secondary interventions are needed for overweight preteen children in Japan.

  17. Maternal obesity, environmental factors, cesarean delivery and breastfeeding as determinants of overweight and obesity in children: results from a cohort.

    PubMed

    Portela, Daniel S; Vieira, Tatiana O; Matos, Sheila Ma; de Oliveira, Nelson F; Vieira, Graciete O

    2015-04-15

    Overweight and obesity are a public health problem with a multifactorial aetiology. The objective of this study was to evaluate risk factors for overweight and obesity in children at 6 years of age, including type of delivery and breastfeeding. This study relates to a cohort of 672 mother-baby pairs who have been followed from birth up to 6 years of age. The sample included mothers and infants seen at all ten maternity units in a large Brazilian city. Genetic, socioeconomic, demographic variables and postnatal characteristics were analyzed. The outcome analyzed was overweight and/or obesity defined as a body mass index greater than or equal to +1 z-score. The sample was stratified by breastfeeding duration, and a descriptive analysis was performed using a hierarchical logistic regression. P-values of <0.05 were considered significant. Prevalence rates (PR) of overweight and obesity among the children were 15.6% and 12.9%, respectively. Among the subset of breastfed children, factors associated with the outcome were maternal overweight and/or obesity (PR 1.92; 95% confidence interval "95% CI" 1.15-3.24) and lower income (PR 0.50; 95% CI 0.29-0.85). Among children who had not been breastfed or had been breastfed for shorter periods (less than 12 months), predictors were mothers with lower levels of education (PR 0.39; 95% CI 0.19-0.78), working mothers (PR 1.83; 95% CI 1.05-3.21), caesarean delivery (PR 1.98; 95% CI 1.14 - 3.50) and maternal obesity (PR 3.05; 95% CI 1.81 - 5.25). Maternal obesity and caesarean delivery were strongly associated with childhood overweight and/or obesity. Lower family income and lower levels of education were identified as protective factors. Breastfeeding duration appeared to modify the association between overweight/obesity and the other predictors studied.

  18. Obstacles to preventing obesity in children aged 2 to 5 years: Latino mothers' and fathers' experiences and perceptions of their urban environments.

    PubMed

    Penilla, Carlos; Tschann, Jeanne M; Sanchez-Vaznaugh, Emma V; Flores, Elena; Ozer, Emily J

    2017-11-02

    The prevalence of obesity among Latino children is alarmingly high, when compared to non-Latino White children. Low-income Latino parents living in urban areas, even if they are well-educated, face obstacles that shape familial health behaviors. This study used qualitative methods to explore parents' experiences in providing meals and opportunities to play to their children aged 2 to 5 years. In contrast to most prior studies, this study examined perceptions of familial behaviors among both mothers and fathers. An ecological framework for exploring the associations of parental feeding behaviors and children's weight informed this study. An interview guide was developed to explore parents' experiences and perceptions about children's eating and physical activity and administered to six focus groups in a community-based organization in the Mission District of San Francisco. Transcripts were coded and analyzed. Twenty seven mothers and 22 fathers of Latino children ages 2 to 5 participated. Mothers, fathers, and couples reported that employment, day care, neighborhood environments and community relationships were experienced, and perceived as obstacles to promoting health behavior among their children, including drinking water instead of soda and participating in organized playtime with other preschool-age children. Results from this study suggest that the parents' demographic, social and community characteristics influence what and how they feed their children, as well as how often and the types of opportunities they provide for physical activity, providing further evidence that an ecological framework is useful for guiding research with both mothers and fathers. Mothers and fathers identified numerous community and society-level constraints in their urban environments. The results point to the importance of standardized work hours, resources for day care providers, clean and safe streets and parks, strong community relationships, and reduced access to sugar

  19. High prevalence of overweight and obesity among inner city Chinese children in Shanghai, 2011.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Xiao-Xiao; Hardy, Louise L; Baur, Louise A; Ding, Ding; Wang, Ling; Shi, Hui-Jing

    2014-01-01

    In China, the prevalence of overweight and obesity appears to be increasing at unacceptable levels among young people living in major cities undergoing rapid economic growth. To report the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Shanghai inner city youth using the recently published International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) Asian definition. Secondary analysis of children aged 8-15 years who participated in the Shanghai Schools' Physical Fitness Examinations, a representative school-based survey. Height and weight were measured and body mass index (kg/m(2)) was calculated. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was determined using the IOTF children's BMI cut-points for Asian populations, equivalent to an adult BMI of 23 g/m(2) (overweight) and 27 kg/m(2) (obese). The prevalence of combined overweight and obesity was 49.1% for boys and 30.8% for girls aged 8-15-years. Almost one-in-five boys were obese, compared with 8.4% of girls. In boys the prevalence of overweight appeared to increase from age 10 years. The high prevalence of combined overweight and obesity among urban Chinese youth, especially among boys, requires immediate health promotion intervention.

  20. The prevalence of obesity and influence of early life and behavioral factors on obesity in Chinese children in Guangzhou.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Ting; Cai, Li; Ma, Lu; Jing, Jin; Chen, Yajun; Ma, Jun

    2016-09-09

    Childhood obesity has become a public health concern in many countries. In Southern China, the prevalence of childhood obesity increased from 6.2 to 7.5 % between 2007 and 2011. This study aimed to report the current prevalence of overweight and obesity, analyzed the early life and behavioral determinants of obesity, and investigated the weight-loss practices among Chinese children in Guangzhou. Three thousand seven hundred sixty-six primary school students aged 7-12 years were recruited in Guangzhou, China in 2013. Questionnaires were used to assess (1) early life factors: birth weight, delivery mode, gestational age and feeding patterns; (2) behavioral factors: dietary intake, eating speed, sedentary time, physical activities and sleep duration; and (3) weight-loss practices: improving diet, increasing exercise, taking weight-loss drugs and undergoing a diet. The criteria of Working Group of Obesity in China were applied to classify overweight and obesity based on measured weight and height. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the determinants of overweight/obesity and adoption of weight-loss practices. The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity were 11.2 and 10.0 %, respectively. High birth weight (≥4.0 kg versus 2.5 ~ 4.0 kg, odd ratio [OR]: 2.34; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.53-3.58), sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) intake (OR: 1.39; 95 % CI: 1.05-1.85), vegetable intake (OR: 1.12; 95 % CI: 1.01-1.24), and doing homework (OR: 1.24; 95 % CI: 1.08-1.43) were positively associated with obesity. Eating speed faster than peers was positively associated with obesity and yielded the highest OR (versus "as fast as peers", OR: 3.18; 95 % CI: 2.28-4.44). Approximately 57, 81 and 87 % of normal-weight, overweight and obese children, respectively, reported weight-loss practices. Self-perception of weight status presented as the strongest determinant for weight-loss practices. The prevalence of overweight and

  1. The association between childcare and risk of childhood overweight and obesity in children aged 5 years and under: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Alberdi, Goiuri; McNamara, Aoife E; Lindsay, Karen L; Scully, Helena A; Horan, Mary H; Gibney, Eileen R; McAuliffe, Fionnuala M

    2016-10-01

    The aim of this paper was to systematically review the published evidence on the relationship between the type of childcare and risk of childhood overweight or obesity. The databases PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library and EMBASE were searched using combinations of the various search terms to identify eligible observational studies published between 2000 and May 2016 in English. Fifteen publications from 7 countries matched the inclusion criteria. The most commonly reported childcare arrangements were centre-based (e.g. crèche) and informal care (e.g. relatives, neighbours, friends). Informal care was most frequently associated with an increased risk of childhood overweight and obesity. Associations were also found for other lifestyle variables such as low maternal education, high birth-weight, maternal employment, ethnicity, maternal overweight/obesity and father's Body Mass Index (BMI). The relationship between childcare and childhood overweight/obesity is multi-faceted with many aspects linked to childhood adiposity, in particular the age of initiation to care, type of care (i.e. informal care) and shorter breastfeeding duration were related with infant adiposity. • Lifestyle factors during early years affect health outcomes in adulthood, particularly in children with low birth weight. • Pre-school stage influences children's body composition and growth. What is new: • This is the first systematic review of observational studies examining the association between childcare and childhood overweight and obesity in preschool children. • 'Informal' care is linked to early introduction to solid foods, less physical activity and obesity.

  2. Environmental factors associated with overweight and obesity in taiwanese children.

    PubMed

    Chen, Yang-Ching; Chen, Pau-Chung; Hsieh, Wu-Shiun; Portnov, Boris A; Chen, Yu-An; Lee, Yungling Leo

    2012-11-01

    We explored the relationship among sociodemographic, behavioural, household environmental and perinatal factors, and risks of childhood overweight and obesity in Taiwan. A total of 7930 children aged 9 to 14 years were recruited from 14 randomly selected Taiwanese communities in 2007 and 2010. Height and weight were measured using standard protocols during school visits. Questionnaires that contained children's family information, birth conditions, exercise habits and household environmental factors were answered by the parents. Associations between risk factors and childhood overweight and obesity were estimated through odds ratio and 95% confidence interval from mixed models. In this cohort, 32.3% of the children were overweight and 17.5% were obese. Male gender, high birthweight, exposure to in utero maternal smoking and current exposure to household environmental tobacco smoke (stronger effect of maternal than paternal smoking) were positively associated with childhood overweight/obesity. In contrast, higher parental education level, number of siblings, active exercise habits and taking vitamins were associated with reduced risks of childhood obesity. Birthweight revealed a J-shaped relationship with the probability of childhood overweight/obesity. This study uncovers several modifiable risk factors for childhood overweight and obesity, and parents are encouraged to provide an anti-obesity environment such as quitting smoking, controlling birthweight of child during pregnancy and building up exercise habits. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  3. Prevalence and epidemiology of overweight and obesity in children with inflammatory bowel disease.

    PubMed

    Long, Millie D; Crandall, Wallace V; Leibowitz, Ian H; Duffy, Lynn; del Rosario, Fernando; Kim, Sandra C; Integlia, Mark J; Berman, James; Grunow, John; Colletti, Richard B; Schoen, Bess T; Patel, Ashish S; Baron, Howard; Israel, Esther; Russell, George; Ali, Sabina; Herfarth, Hans H; Martin, Christopher; Kappelman, Michael D

    2011-10-01

    Obesity is a significant public health threat to children in the United States. The aims were to: 1) Determine the prevalence of obesity in a multicenter cohort of children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); 2) Evaluate whether overweight and obese status is associated with patient demographics or disease characteristics. We used data from the ImproveCareNow Collaborative for pediatric IBD, a multicenter registry of children with IBD, collected between April 2007 and December 2009. Children ages 2-18 years were classified into body mass index (BMI) percentiles. Bivariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression were used to compare demographic and disease characteristics by overweight (BMI >85%) and obese (BMI >95%) status. The population consisted of 1598 children with IBD. The prevalence of overweight/obese status in pediatric IBD is 23.6%, (20.0% for Crohn's disease [CD] and 30.1% for ulcerative colitis [UC] and indeterminate colitis [IC]). African American race (odds ratio [OR] 1.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10-2.48) and Medicaid insurance (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.19-2.34) were positively associated with overweight/obese status. Prior IBD-related surgery (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.07-2.82) was also associated with overweight and obese status in children with CD. Other disease characteristics were not associated with overweight and obesity in children with IBD. Approximately one in five children with CD and one in three with UC are overweight or obese. Rates of obesity in UC are comparable to the general population. Obese IBD patients may have a more severe disease course, as indicated by increased need for surgery. Sociodemographic risk factors for obesity in the IBD population are similar to those in the general population. Copyright © 2010 Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America, Inc.

  4. [Prevalence and determinants of obesity in children and young people in Catalonia, Spain, 2006-2012].

    PubMed

    Posso, Margarita; Brugulat-Guiteras, Pilar; Puig, Teresa; Mompart-Penina, Anna; Medina-Bustos, Antonia; Alcañiz, Manuela; Guillén, Montserrat; Tresserras-Gaju, Ricard

    2014-12-09

    To estimate the prevalence of obesity and overweight in children aged 2 to 14 years in Catalonia, its trends between 2006 and 2010-2012, and to evaluate social determinants and lifestyle associated with obesity. A cross-sectional study, using the data from 4,389 surveys from Catalonia Health Surveys of the years 2006 and 2010-2012, was conducted. Obesity and overweight were determined by World Health Organization criteria. Socioeconomic position, parent's education, usual diet and activity, and hours of sleep were assessed. The prevalence of obesity and overweight were: 15.4 and 20.2% in 2010-2012. The prevalence of obesity was higher in boys (15.5%) compared to girls (12.8%) (P<.05), and higher in children ranging from 2 to 9 years old (17.5%) than children aged 10 to 14 years (7.7%) (P<.05). In 2006, the prevalence of obesity and overweight were similar to the prevalence in 2010-2012. Obesity was more frequent in children with parents with a low socioeconomic position and/or a primary or elementary parent's education. During the last 5 years (2006-2012), child obesity and overweight have remained stable in Catalonia, yet they are relatively high in Europe. Public health programmes against obesity must consider conducting an intersectional action taking social determinants and family life styles into account. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  5. Genetic and epigenetic associations to obesity-related appetite phenotypes among African-American children.

    PubMed

    Gardner, K R; Sapienza, C; Fisher, J O

    2015-12-01

    Genetic and epigenetic variations may be an important contributer to altered eating behaviors in childhood which may lead to weight gain and obesity later in life. This study aimed to evaluate epigenetic as well as genetic associations with appetite in young children. Participants were 32 non-obese and 32 obese African-American children aged 5-6 years. Saliva was collected from each child, and RNA and DNA were extracted for analysis. Individuals were genotyped for eating- and obesity-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms in seven candidate genes (FTO, MAOA, SH2B1, LEPR, DNMT3B, BDNF and CCKAR), and DNA methylation levels were measured in the upstream promoter region of each. Transcript levels of MAOA and FTO were also assessed. The Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ) was used to assess the aspects of appetite. Child obesity was assessed using measured height and weight, and percent body fat was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Food responsiveness was higher and satiety responsiveness was lower among obese than non-obese female children (P = 0.001 and P = 0.031), but did not differ among male children. Epigenetic analysis of the BDNF promoter revealed associations with altered satiety responsiveness among female children (P < 0.01). The findings provide new evidence of epigenetic associations with altered appetite among young African-American girls. © 2015 World Obesity.

  6. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

    PubMed

    Sandhu, Naminder; Witmans, Manisha B; Lemay, Jean-François; Crawford, Susan; Jadavji, Nadeem; Pacaud, Danièle

    2008-07-01

    Information about the prevalence of obesity in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1) is inconsistent and limited. The burden of the concurrent problems of obesity and DM1 can have notable medical, psychological, and social implications for both patients and their families. To determine prevalences of overweight and obesity in children with DM1 compared to a control population. In a cross-sectional study, we compared the prevalence of overweight/obesity in 390 children with DM1 (males 54%) and 565 controls (CONT; males 60%) aged 6 to 16 years. Overweight and obesity were defined as body mass indices between the 85th and 95th percentiles, and greater than the 95th percentile for age, respectively. Overall, 29.5% DM1 and 18.1% CONT (p < 0.001) were either obese or overweight. The prevalence of obesity alone did not differ (DM1 5.4% vs CONT 8.2%), but a greater rate of overweight was seen in the DM1 group (DM 24.1% vs CONT 10.0%, p < 0.001). Rate's of overweight were higher in the DM1 than CONT across all age groups and in both genders (males: DM1 20.1% vs CONT 8.9%, p < 0.001; females: DM1 28.7% vs CONT 11.5%, p < 0.001). Only females showed an increase in overall overweight/obesity rate (DM1 34.8% vs CONT 16.4%, p < 0.001) and this was most evident in older girls. Children with DM1 are more overweight, but not more obese, than their nondiabetic counterparts. Additional research is warranted to evaluate the characteristics of DM1 and its management that may influence weight gain.

  7. Analysis of psychological characteristics of obese children.

    PubMed

    Liu, L-F; Bian, Q-T; Zhai, J-G

    2017-06-01

    We conducted this study to analyze the psychological characteristics of obese children. We selected 60 cases of obese children as obesity group and according to 1:1 matching principle, we selected 60 normal weight children as the control group. We investigated and analyzed children's family behavior, mental health, temperament, self-consciousness and social adaptability. The proportion of children with adverse behavior in the obesity group was significantly higher than that in the control group (p < 0.05). In the psychological health assessment, we compared the emotional disorder, social adjustment disorder, bad habits and behavior disorder score of both groups, and the differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). We compared the temperament dimension score of both groups in avoidance, emotional nature, distractibility and threshold of reaction; the differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The proportion of negative temperament types in the obesity group were significantly higher than that in the control group (p < 0.05). We compared the self-awareness levels of both groups with regards to body appearance and properties such as gregariousness, happiness, satisfaction and total scores of self-concept aspects; the differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The level of social adaptive ability of the obesity group was significantly lower than that of the control group (p < 0.05). Children that demonstrate bad family behavior and that have a temperament which makes them difficult to raise are important factors related to obesity. Obese children often have mental and behavioral disorders, aversion, high emotional nature, low distractibility and threshold of reaction, damaged self-awareness, low self-evaluation, are not gregarious, demonstrate unhappiness and satisfaction and have poor social adaptation ability. Obesity is a cause for social concern. We need to strengthen the mental health education of obesity and promote the healthy

  8. Baroreflex sensitivity in children and adolescents: physiology, hypertension, obesity, diabetes mellitus.

    PubMed

    Honzíková, N; Závodná, E

    2016-12-13

    The increased prevalence of obesity in children and its complications have led to a greater interest in studying baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) in children. This review of BRS in children and adolescents includes subtopics on: 1. Resting values of BRS and their reproducibility, 2. Genetics of BRS, 3. The role of a primarily low BRS and obesity in the development of hypertension, and 4. Association of diabetes mellitus, BRS, and obesity. The conclusions specific to this age follow from this review: 1. The mean heart rate (HR) influences the measurement of BRS. Since the mean HR decreases during adolescence, HR should be taken into account. 2. A genetic dependency of BRS was found. 3. Low BRS values may precede pathological blood-pressure elevation in children with white-coat hypertension. We hypothesize that low BRS plays an active role in the emergence of hypertension in youth. A contribution of obesity to the development of hypertension was also found. We hypothesize that both factors, a primarily low BRS and obesity, are partially independent risk factors for hypertension in youths. 4. In diabetics, a low BRS compared to healthy children can be associated with insulin resistance. A reversibility of the BRS values could be possible after weight loss.

  9. No independent association between insufficient sleep and childhood obesity in the National Survey of Children's Health.

    PubMed

    Hassan, Fauziya; Davis, Matthew M; Chervin, Ronald D

    2011-04-15

    Prior studies have supported an association between insufficient sleep and childhood obesity, but most have not examined nationally representative samples or considered potential sociodemographic confounders. The main objective of this study was to use a large, nationally representative dataset to examine the possibility that insufficient sleep is associated with obesity in children, independent of sociodemographic factors. The National Survey of Children's Health is a national survey of U.S. households contacted by random digit dialing. In 2003, caregivers of 102,353 US children were surveyed. Age- and sex-specific body mass index (BMI) based on parental report of child height and weight, was available for 81,390 children aged 6-17 years. Caregivers were asked, "How many nights of sufficient sleep did your child have in the past week?" The odds of obesity (BMI ≥ 95th percentile) versus healthy weight (BMI 5th-84th percentile) was regressed on reported nights of sufficient sleep per week (categorized as 0-2, 3-5, or 6-7). Sociodemographic variables included gender, race, household education, and family income. Analyses incorporated sampling weights to derive nationally representative estimates for a 2003 population of 34 million youth. Unadjusted bivariate analyses indicated that children aged 6-11 years with 0-2 nights of sufficient sleep, in comparison to those with 6-7 nights, were more likely to be obese (OR = 1.7, 95% CI [1.2-2.3]). Among children aged 12-17 years, odds of obesity were lower among children with 3-5 nights of sufficient sleep in comparison to those with 6-7 nights (0.8, 95% CI: 0.7-0.9). However, in both age groups, adjustment for race/ethnicity, gender, family income, and household education left no remaining statistical significance for the association between sufficient nights of sleep and BMI. In this national sample, insufficient sleep, as judged by parents, is inconsistently associated with obesity in bivariate analyses, and not

  10. Epidemiological Paradox or Immigrant Vulnerability? Obesity Among Young Children of Immigrants

    PubMed Central

    Baker, Elizabeth H.; Rendall, Michael S.; Weden, Margaret M.

    2015-01-01

    According to the “immigrant epidemiological paradox,” immigrants and their children enjoy health advantages over their U.S.-born peers—advantages that diminish with greater acculturation. We investigated child obesity as a potentially significant deviation from this paradox for second-generation immigrant children. We evaluated two alternate measures of mother's acculturation: age at arrival in the United States and English language proficiency. To obtain sufficient numbers of second-generation immigrant children, we pooled samples across two related, nationally representative surveys. Each included measured (not parent-reported) height and weight of kindergartners. We also estimated models that alternately included and excluded mother's pre-pregnancy weight status as a predictor. Our findings are opposite to those predicted by the immigrant epidemiological paradox: children of U.S.-born mothers were less likely to be obese than otherwise similar children of foreign-born mothers; and the children of the least-acculturated immigrant mothers, as measured by low English language proficiency, were the most likely to be obese. Foreign-born mothers had lower (healthier) pre-pregnancy weight than U.S.-born mothers, and this was protective against their second-generation children's obesity. This protection, however, was not sufficiently strong to outweigh factors associated or correlated with the mothers' linguistic isolation and marginal status as immigrants. PMID:26111970

  11. Epidemiological Paradox or Immigrant Vulnerability? Obesity Among Young Children of Immigrants.

    PubMed

    Baker, Elizabeth H; Rendall, Michael S; Weden, Margaret M

    2015-08-01

    According to the "immigrant epidemiological paradox," immigrants and their children enjoy health advantages over their U.S.-born peers--advantages that diminish with greater acculturation. We investigated child obesity as a potentially significant deviation from this paradox for second-generation immigrant children. We evaluated two alternate measures of mother's acculturation: age at arrival in the United States and English language proficiency. To obtain sufficient numbers of second-generation immigrant children, we pooled samples across two related, nationally representative surveys. Each included measured (not parent-reported) height and weight of kindergartners. We also estimated models that alternately included and excluded mother's pre-pregnancy weight status as a predictor. Our findings are opposite to those predicted by the immigrant epidemiological paradox: children of U.S.-born mothers were less likely to be obese than otherwise similar children of foreign-born mothers; and the children of the least-acculturated immigrant mothers, as measured by low English language proficiency, were the most likely to be obese. Foreign-born mothers had lower (healthier) pre-pregnancy weight than U.S.-born mothers, and this was protective against their second-generation children's obesity. This protection, however, was not sufficiently strong to outweigh factors associated or correlated with the mothers' linguistic isolation and marginal status as immigrants.

  12. Individual genetic variations related to satiety and appetite control increase risk of obesity in preschool-age children in the STRONG kids program.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yingying; Wang, Anthony; Donovan, Sharon M; Teran-Garcia, Margarita

    2013-01-01

    The burden of the childhood obesity epidemic is well recognized; nevertheless, the genetic markers and gene-environment interactions associated with the development of common obesity are still unknown. In this study, candidate genes associated to satiety and appetite control pathways with obesity-related traits were tested in Caucasian preschoolers from the STRONG Kids project. Eight genetic variants in genes related to obesity (BDNF, LEPR, FTO, PCSK1, POMC, TUB, LEP, and MC4R) were genotyped in 128 children from the STRONG Kids project (mean age 39.7 months). Data were analyzed for individual associations and to test for genetic predisposition scores (GPSs) with body mass index (BMI) and anthropometric traits (Z-scores, e.g. height-for-age Z-score, HAZ). Covariates included age, sex, and breastfeeding (BF) duration. Obesity and overweight prevalence was 6.3 and 19.5%, respectively, according to age- and sex-specific BMI percentiles. Individual genetic associations of MC4R and LEPR markers with HAZ were strengthened when BF duration was included as a covariate. Our GPSs show that, as the number of risk alleles increased, the risk of higher BMI and HAZ also increased. Overall, the GPSs assembled were able to explain 2-3% of the variability in BMI and HAZ phenotypes. Genetic associations with common obesity-related phenotypes were found in the STRONG Kids project. GPSs assembled for specific candidate genes were associated with BMI and HAZ phenotypes. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  13. [Overweight, obesity and metabolic syndrome in children with type 1 diabetes melllitus].

    PubMed

    Luczyński, Włodzimierz; Szypowska, Agnieszka; Bossowski, Artur; Ramotowska, Anna; Rećko, Przemysław; Rembińska, Małgorzata; Tercjak, Magdalena; Blecharczyk, Bernadetta; Lachowska, Urszula; Suchoń, Paweł; Wiśniewska, Karolina; Bernatowicz, Paweł; Głowińska-Olszewska, Barbara

    2010-01-01

    Obesity can be an additional risk factor for developing cardiovascular diseases in patients with diabetes. Aim of the study was the assessment of overweight, obesity and other elements of the metabolic syndrome in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus. 300 children treated with insulin at least one year were enrolled in the study. In the examined group anthropometric data, data concerned with diabetes and additional laboratory tests including risk factors for cardiovascular diseases were assessed. The median age of the examined group was 13.7 years. The body mass deficiency was noted in 0.66%, normal body mass in 71.6%, overweight in 15.3% and obesity in 12.3%. The abdominal obesity was noted in 16.0% of children. The rise in the body weight between 3-6 months from the beginning of the insulin therapy and the present assessment was statistically significant. Children with normal weight had a better metabolic control in comparison to children with overweight/obesity. Girls had a higher rise in body mass index values between the time of diagnosis and the present investigation compared to boys. Higher values of blood pressure or hypertension were noted in 16.6% of children. Altogether in 25.3% of children some dyslipidemia was observed. The metabolic syndrome criteria were noted in: 28.0% - one criterion, 13.0% - two criteria, and 0.3% - three criteria. The population of children with type 1 diabetes is characterized by high frequency of overweight/obesity, abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia and hypertension. The features of metabolic syndrome are less frequent. It is worthwhile to monitor the risk for development of cardiovascular diseases in this group of children.

  14. Relationship between Breast Feeding and Obesity in Children with Low Birth Weight.

    PubMed

    Zarrati, Mitra; Shidfar, Farzad; Moradof, Maryam; Nasiri Nejad, Farinaz; Keyvani, Hossein; Rezaei Hemami, Mohsen; Razmpoosh, Elham

    2013-08-01

    Breast feeding appears to play a role in determining obesity and abdominal obesity during childhood, specifically in children with a history of low birth weight. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relation of breast-feeding with either of abdominal obesity and obesity among Iranian school children. A total of 1184 students (625 girls and 559 boys), aged 10 to 13 years old, were selected from 112 governmental elementary schools in Iran. Height, weight, waist circumference and blood pressure were measured using standard instruments and a pretested standardized questionnaire was performed for compiling information about family economics and educational level, first-degree family history of obesity, history of breast feeding, food pattern and birth weight, as well. 13.68% (n = 160) of students had a history of low birth weight, and 26.41% of them had abdominal obesity. Of all participants, 22.04% were overweight and 5.32% were obese which was more prevalent in girls than in boys (P = 0.03). First-degree family history of obesity (P = 0.001), excessive gestational weight gain (P = 0.001) and birth weight (P = 0.01) were significantly correlated with the prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity during childhood. Moreover the prevalence of abdominal obesity in children with low birth weight was significantly correlated with breast feeding (P = 0.04); But this relation was not significantly about obesity in our participants (P = 0.9). Furthermore duration of breast feeding was significantly and inversely correlated with obesity and abdominal obesity in schoolchildren with low birth weight (P = 0.01). The results suggest that Breast feeding and its long-term consequences were important factors for preventing metabolic syndrome criteria in childhood and later years of life span. With regard to the increasing prevalence of obesity in children, more research is urgently needed to clarify whether breast feeding have negative consequences for the risk of chronic

  15. Is obesity at individual and national level associated with lower age at menarche? Evidence from 34 countries in the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Study.

    PubMed

    Currie, Candace; Ahluwalia, Naman; Godeau, Emmanuelle; Nic Gabhainn, Saoirse; Due, Pernille; Currie, Dorothy B

    2012-06-01

    A unique standardized international data set from adolescent girls in 34 countries in Europe and North America participating in the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Study (HBSC) is used to investigate the contribution of body mass index (BMI) at individual and country level to cross-national differences in age at menarche. Two independent nationally representative survey data sets from 15-year-olds (n = 27,878, in 34 countries, year = 2005/2006) and 11-year-olds (n = 18,101, in 29 countries, year = 2001/2002) were analyzed. The survey instrument is a self-report questionnaire. Median age at menarche and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Hierarchical models were used to assess the relationship between BMI and age at menarche (months). "Country-level obesity" was measured by prevalence of overweight/obesity (%) in each country. Country-level median age at menarche ranged between 12 years and 5 months and 13 years and 5 months. Country-level prevalence of overweight among 15-year-old girls ranged from 4% to 28%. Age at menarche was inversely associated with individual BMI (unstandardized regression coefficient beta = -1.01; 95% CI, -1.09 to -.94) and country-level aggregate overweight at age 11 (unstandardized regression coefficient beta = -.25; 95% CI, -.43 to -.08). Individual- and country-level measures of BMI account for 40% of the country-level variance in age at menarche. The findings add to the evidence that obesity in childhood is a risk factor for early puberty in girls and accounts for much of the cross-national variation in age at menarche. Future HBSC surveys can track this relationship in the wake of the obesity "epidemic." Copyright © 2012 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Insulin resistance in obese children and adolescents.

    PubMed

    Romualdo, Monica Cristina dos Santos; Nóbrega, Fernando José de; Escrivão, Maria Arlete Meil Schimith

    2014-01-01

    To evaluate the presence of insulin resistance and its association with other metabolic abnormalities in obese children and adolescents. Retrospective study of 220 children and adolescents aged 5-14 years. Anthropometric measurements were performed (weight, height, and waist circumference) and clinical (gender, age, pubertal stage, and degree of obesity) and biochemical (glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, and fractions, triglycerides) data were analyzed. Insulin resistance was identified by the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index. The analysis of the differences between the variables of interest and the HOMA-IR quartiles was performed by ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis tests. Insulin resistance was diagnosed in 33.20% of the sample. It was associated with low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C; p=0.044), waist circumference measurement (p=0.030), and the set of clinical and metabolic (p=0.000) alterations. Insulin-resistant individuals had higher mean age (p=0.000), body mass index (BMI; p=0.000), abdominal circumference (p=0.000), median triglycerides (p=0.001), total cholesterol (p≤0.042), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C; p≤0.027); and lower HDL-C levels (p=0.005). There was an increase in mean BMI (p=0.000), abdominal circumference (p=0.000), and median triglycerides (p=0.002) as the values of HOMA -IR increased, with the exception of HDL-C, which decreased (p=0.001). Those with the highest number of simultaneous alterations were between the second and third quartiles of the HOMA-IR index (p=0.000). The results confirmed that insulin resistance is present in many obese children and adolescents, and that this condition is associated with alterations that represent an increased risk for developing metabolic disorders in adulthood. Copyright © 2014 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  17. Birthweight, breast-feeding, parental weight and prevalence of obesity in schoolchildren aged 10-12 years, in Greece; the Physical Activity, Nutrition and Allergies in Children Examined in Athens (PANACEA) study.

    PubMed

    Panagiotakos, Demosthenes B; Papadimitriou, Anastasios; Anthracopoulos, Michael B; Konstantinidou, Maria; Antonogeorgos, George; Fretzayas, Andrew; Priftis, Kostas N

    2008-08-01

    The purpose of the present study was to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in a sample of Greek children aged 10-12 years, and to evaluate these rates in relation to parental weight and birthweight. During the 2005-2006 school period, 700 schoolchildren (323 boys, 377 girls) were randomly recruited from 18 schools, in Athens. Height and weight were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Cut-off points for BMI defining obesity and overweight for gender and age were calculated in accordance with international standards. Overall, 8.6% of boys and 9.0% of girls were obese, and 33.9% of boys and 22.1% of girls were overweight. Having an obese parent increased the odds of having an overweight or obese child (P < 0.01). Compared to non-breast-fed, boys who were breast-fed for >3 months had 70% lower likelihood of being overweight or obese (P < 0.01) and breast-fed girls had 80% lower odds (P < 0.01). Excessive birthweight (>3500 g) increased by 2.5-fold the likelihood of being overweight or obese only in girls (P < 0.05). Parental weight, lack of breast-feeding and excess birthweight (in girls) were significant predictors of overweight or obesity in Greek children aged 10-12 years.

  18. Trends in the Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity among Chinese Preschool Children from 2006 to 2014.

    PubMed

    Xiao, Yanyu; Qiao, Yijuan; Pan, Lei; Liu, Jin; Zhang, Tao; Li, Nan; Liu, Enqing; Wang, Yue; Liu, Hongyan; Liu, Gongshu; Huang, Guowei; Hu, Gang

    2015-01-01

    To examine the trends in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among preschool children from 2006 to 2014. A total of 145,078 children aged 3-6 years from 46 kindergartens finished the annual health examination in Tianjin, China. Height, weight and other information were obtained using standardized methods. Z-scores for weight, height, and BMI were calculated based on the standards for the World Health Organization (WHO) child growth standards. From 2006 to 2014, mean values of height z-scores significantly increased from 0.34 to 0.54, mean values of weight z-scores kept constant, and mean values of BMI z-scores significantly decreased from 0.40 to 0.23. Mean values of height z-scores, weight z-scores, and BMI z-scores slightly decreased among children from 3 to 4 years old, and then increased among children from 4 to 6 years old. Between 2006 and 2014, there were no significant changes in prevalence of overweight (BMI z-scores >2 SD) and obesity (BMI z-scores >3 SD) among 3-4 years children. However, prevalence of obesity (BMI z-scores >2 SD) increased from 8.8% in 2006 to 10.1% in 2010, and then kept stable until 2014 among 5-6 years children. Boys had higher prevalence of obesity than girls. Mean values of BMI z-scores decreased from 2006 to 2014 among Chinese children aged 3-6 years old due to the significant increase of height z-scores. Prevalence of obesity increased from 2006 to 2010, and then kept stable until 2014 among children aged 5-6 years. The prevalence of obesity was higher in boys than in girls.

  19. Engaging children in the development of obesity interventions: exploring outcomes that matter most among obesity positive outliers

    PubMed Central

    Sharifi, Mona; Marshall, Gareth; Goldman, Roberta E.; Cunningham, Courtney; Marshall, Richard; Taveras, Elsie M

    2015-01-01

    Objective To explore outcomes and measures of success that matter most to 'positive outlier' children who improved their body mass index (BMI) despite living in obesogenic neighborhoods. Methods We collected residential address and longitudinal height/weight data from electronic health records of 22,657 children ages 6–12 years in Massachusetts. We defined obesity “hotspots” as zip codes where >15% of children had a BMI ≥95th percentile. Using linear mixed effects models, we generated a BMI z-score slope for each child with a history of obesity. We recruited 10–12 year-olds with negative slopes living in hotspots for focus groups. We analyzed group transcripts and discussed emerging themes in iterative meetings using an immersion/crystallization approach. Results We reached thematic saturation after 4 focus groups with 21 children. Children identified bullying and negative peer comparisons related to physical appearance, clothing size, and athletic ability as motivating them to achieve a healthier weight, and they measured success as improvement in these domains. Positive relationships with friends and family facilitated both behavior change initiation and maintenance. Conclusions The perspectives of positive outlier children can provide insight into children’s motivations leading to successful obesity management. Practice implications: Child/family engagement should guide the development of patient-centered obesity interventions. PMID:26166630

  20. Body esteem, peer difficulties and perceptions of physical health in overweight and obese urban children aged 5 to 7 years.

    PubMed

    Williams, N A; Fournier, J; Coday, M; Richey, P A; Tylavsky, F A; Hare, M E

    2013-11-01

    To determine whether there is an association between body mass index (BMI) and body esteem in young overweight and obese urban children, and to test peer relationship difficulties and perceived physical health as mediators of this relationship. Child self-reported body esteem, and parent-reported child peer relationship difficulties (being bullied by peers and peer rejection) and physical health perceptions were obtained from 218 overweight and obese children aged 5-7 years (81% racial/ethnic minority, M BMI = 25.3) and their primary caregivers. Higher BMI was associated with lower body esteem for both girls and boys. This relation was mediated by poor physical health for boys but not for girls. Peer relationship difficulties did not mediate the observed association between BMI and body esteem in either group; however, girls with higher BMI experienced more bullying and being bullied by peers was associated with lower body esteem in girls. Intervening with perceptions of physical health may buffer overweight and obese boys from developing low body esteem in early childhood. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Body Esteem, Peer Difficulties, and Perceptions of Physical Health in Overweight and Obese Urban Children Ages 5 to 7 Years

    PubMed Central

    Williams, Natalie A.; Fournier, Jennifer; Coday, Mace; Richey, Phyllis A.; Tylavsky, Frances A.; Hare, Marion E.

    2012-01-01

    Objective To determine whether there is an association between body mass index (BMI) and body esteem in young overweight and obese urban children, and to test peer relationship difficulties and perceived physical health as mediators of this relationship. Methods Child self-reported body esteem, and parent-reported child peer relationship difficulties (being bullied by peers and peer rejection) and physical health perceptions were obtained from 218 overweight and obese children ages 5–7 years (81% racial/ethnic minority, M BMI = 25.3) and their primary caregivers. Results Higher BMI was associated with lower body esteem for both girls and boys. This relation was mediated by poor physical health for boys but not for girls. Peer relationship difficulties did not mediate the observed association between BMI and body esteem in either group; however, girls with higher BMI experienced more bullying and being bullied by peers was associated with lower body esteem in girls. Conclusions Intervening with perceptions of physical health may buffer overweight and obese boys from developing low body esteem in early childhood. PMID:22882115

  2. Prevalence of obesity among Arab school children in Nazareth, Israel: comparison with national (Jewish) and international data.

    PubMed

    Ram, E; Marcus, O; Joubran, S; Abdo, B; Asal, N R

    2013-12-01

    Lack of published data. Absence of Ethnic specific data. Lack of focus on obesity prevention in Arab schools. First set of data on obesity for Arab children. Data will be used as reference data. Alert health/school official for intervention. Objective The objective is to produce the first set of obesity prevalence data and use the data as reference values of body mass index (BMI) trends for Arab children in Israel and compare with Jewish and international data. Methods A prevalence study was carried out in 2009 in which 4130 children aged 6-12, were selected from eight Arab sector schools representing the Nazareth Municipality. Height, weight and BMI measurements were obtained and presented by age, mean age, size, weight, gender and percentile. Appropriate epidemiological and statistical methods used for comparison. Results The obesity and overweight prevalence rates in Arab children by age ranges from 0% to 2.6% and 0% to 11.2%, respectively. Comparison with international and Jewish data revealed differences in almost all age groups but higher rates in Arabs, especially boys. Discussion The higher rates/trends in Arab children may be explained by more Arab women entering the workforce, increase in single-parent families and changes in food and physical activity environments. Conclusion Based on our data, we recommend either an ethnic-specific BMI reference curves and/or inclusion of Arab data in the Israeli data system. Research need to focus on reasons for the increase and interventions to reverse/slow the trend. © 2013 The Authors. Pediatric Obesity © 2013 International Association for the Study of Obesity.

  3. Relative Abundance in Bacterial and Fungal Gut Microbes in Obese Children: A Case Control Study.

    PubMed

    Borgo, Francesca; Verduci, Elvira; Riva, Alessandra; Lassandro, Carlotta; Riva, Enrica; Morace, Giulia; Borghi, Elisa

    2017-02-01

    Differences in relative proportions of gut microbial communities in adults have been correlated with intestinal diseases and obesity. In this study we evaluated the gut microbiota biodiversity, both bacterial and fungal, in obese and normal-weight school-aged children. We studied 28 obese (mean age 10.03 ± 0.68) and 33 age- and sex-matched normal-weight children. BMI z-scores were calculated, and the obesity condition was defined according to the WHO criteria. Fecal samples were analyzed by 16S rRNA amplification followed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis and sequencing. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to quantify the most representative microbial species and genera. DGGE profiles showed high bacterial biodiversity without significant correlations with BMI z-score groups. Compared to bacterial profiles, we observed lower richness in yeast species. Sequence of the most representative bands gave back Eubacterium rectale, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida albicans, and C. glabrata as present in all samples. Debaryomyces hansenii was present only in two obese children. Obese children revealed a significantly lower abundance in Akkermansia muciniphyla, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Bacteroides/Prevotella group, Candida spp., and Saccharomyces spp. (P = 0.031, P = 0.044, P = 0.003, P = 0.047, and P = 0.034, respectively). Taking into account the complexity of obesity, our data suggest that differences in relative abundance of some core microbial species, preexisting or diet driven, could actively be part of its etiology. This study improved our knowledge about the fungal population in the pediatric school-age population and highlighted the need to consider the influence of cross-kingdom relationships.

  4. The effects of healthy lifestyle behaviors of mothers on obesity in preschool children.

    PubMed

    Inal, Sevil; Canbulat, Nejla; Bozkurt, Gulcin

    2015-10-01

    To determine the relationship between healthy lifestyle behaviours of mothers and obesity in their pre-school children. The cross-sectional study was performed in a district of Istanbul, Turkey, between April and June 2011, and comprised children aged 4-6 years attending public pre-schools and their mothers.. Data was obtained using a questionnaire and Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours Scale-II. Number Cruncher Statistical System 2007 was used for statistical analysis. Of the 531 children in the study, 246(46.3%) were girls. Overall prevalence of overweight was 136(25.6%), obesity 77(14.5%)Overweight mothers were 126(23.7%), and obese mothers were 31(5.8%). The mothers of obese children obtained lower scores in the physical activity (p<0.05) and nutrition (p=0.001) subscales, and their total score was also lower (p<0.05).. Lifestyle behaviours of mothers, especially with respect to nutrition and physical activity, may influence obesity among preschool children. Strategies should be developed to improve the physical activity and eating habits of mothers.

  5. Relationship between visceral obesity and plasma fibrinogen in obese children.

    PubMed

    Hafez, Mona; El-Masry, Sahar; Musa, Noha; Fathy, Marwa; Hassan, Mona; Hassan, Nayera; El Husseiny, Mohamed; Tareef, Mahmoud

    2016-03-01

    The prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents has increased significantly worldwide with an alarming rise of its co-morbidities. The excess of visceral adipose tissue is associated with hypertension, prothrombotic and pro-inflammatory states. Our aim was to find a possible association between visceral obesity and plasma fibrinogen, as one of the cardiovascular risk factors, in obese children. Forty-three obese children and 40 non-obese controls were studied regarding their history, complete physical examination, anthropometric assessment, body composition analysis, ultrasonographic measurement of visceral adipose tissue and subcutaneous fat as well as laboratory measurement of plasma fibrinogen. Our study revealed significant higher levels of fibrinogen in obese children than controls (14.5+5.1 and 2.9+0.52 mg/mL, respectively) with p-value <0.01. Moreover, the obese group had statistically significant difference in visceral fat (5.96+0.77 cm) and subcutaneous fat (2.66+0.70 cm) than controls (2.45+0.65 and 0.70+0.18 mg/mL, respectively) with p-value <0.01. In addition, fibrinogen had significant positive correlation with body mass index (r=0.327), waist/hip ratio (r=0.394), fat percentage (r=0.301), visceral adipose tissue (r=0.323) and subcutaneous fat (r=0.301). There was highly significant increase in the fibrinogen level, visceral and subcutaneous abdominal fat in the obese group with insignificant sex differences. Fibrinogen had a significant positive correlation with the different adiposity markers, blood pressure, visceral and subcutaneous fat. Visceral adipose tissue is a stronger predictor for cardiovascular risk compared to subcutaneous fat.

  6. Linking Obesity and Activity Level with Children's Television and Video Game Use

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vandewater, Elizabeth A.; Shim, Mi-suk; Caplovitz, Allison G.

    2004-01-01

    This study examined the links between childhood obesity, activity participation and television and video game use in a nationally representative sample of children (N=2831) ages 1-12 using age-normed body mass index (BMI) ratings. Results indicated that while television use was not related to children's weight status, video game use was. Children…

  7. Maternal gestational diabetes and childhood obesity at age 9–11: results of a multinational study

    PubMed Central

    Zhao, Pei; Liu, Enqing; Qiao, Yijuan; Katzmarzyk, Peter T.; Chaput, Jean-Philippe; Fogelholm, Mikael; Johnson, William D.; Kuriyan, Rebecca; Kurpad, Anura; Lambert, Estelle V.; Maher, Carol; Maia, José A.R.; Matsudo, Victor; Olds, Timothy; Onywera, Vincent; Sarmiento, Olga L.; Standage, Martyn; Tremblay, Mark S.; Tudor-Locke, Catrine; Hu, Gang

    2016-01-01

    Aims/hypothesis The aim of this study was to examine the association between maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and childhood obesity at age 9–11 years in 12 countries around the world. Methods A multinational cross-sectional study of 4,740 children aged 9–11 years was conducted. Maternal GDM was diagnosed according to the ADA or WHO criteria. Height and waist circumference were measured using standardised methods. Weight and body fat were measured using a portable Tanita SC-240 Body Composition Analyzer. Multilevel modelling was used to account for the nested nature of the data. Results The prevalence of reported maternal GDM was 4.3%. The overall prevalence of childhood obesity, central obesity and high body fat were 12.3%, 9.9% and 8.1%, respectively. The multivariable-adjusted (maternal age at delivery, education, infant feeding mode, gestational age, number of younger siblings, child unhealthy diet pattern scores, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, sleeping time, sedentary time, sex and birthweight) odds ratios among children of GDM mothers compared with children of non-GDM mothers were 1.53 (95% CI 1.03, 2.27) for obesity, 1.73 (95% CI 1.14, 2.62) for central obesity and 1.42 (95% CI 0.90, 2.26) for high body fat. The positive association was still statistically significant for central obesity after additional adjustment for current maternal BMI but was no longer significant for obesity and high body fat. Conclusions/interpretation Maternal GDM was associated with increased odds of childhood obesity at 9–11 years old but this association was not fully independent of maternal BMI. PMID:27510911

  8. Incidence of Obesity Among Young US Children Living in Low-Income Families, 2008–2011

    PubMed Central

    Pan, Liping; May, Ashleigh L.; Wethington, Holly; Dalenius, Karen; Grummer-Strawn, Laurence M.

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVE To examine the incidence and reverse of obesity among young low-income children and variations across population subgroups. METHODS We included 1.2 million participants in federally funded child health and nutrition programs who were 0 to 23 months old in 2008 and were followed up 24 to 35 months later in 2010–2011. Weight and height were measured. Obesity at baseline was defined as gender-specific weight-for-length ≥95th percentile on the 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts. Obesity at follow-up was defined as gender-specific BMI-for-age ≥95th percentile. We used a multivariable log-binomial model to estimate relative risk of obesity adjusting for gender, baseline age, race/ethnicity, duration of follow-up, and baseline weight-for-length percentile. RESULTS The incidence of obesity was 11.0% after the follow-up period. The incidence was significantly higher among boys versus girls and higher among children aged 0 to 11 months at baseline versus those older. Compared with non-Hispanic whites, the risk of obesity was 35% higher among Hispanics and 49% higher among American Indians (AIs)/Alaska Natives (ANs), but 8% lower among non-Hispanic African Americans. Among children who were obese at baseline, 36.5% remained obese and 63.5% were nonobese at follow-up. The proportion of reversing of obesity was significantly lower among Hispanics and AIs/ANs than that among other racial/ethnic groups. CONCLUSIONS The high incidence underscores the importance of early-life obesity prevention in multiple settings for low-income children and their families. The variations within population subgroups suggest that culturally appropriate intervention efforts should be focused on Hispanics and AIs/ANs. PMID:24276843

  9. Preserved insulin sensitivity predicts metabolically healthy obese phenotype in children and adolescents.

    PubMed

    Vukovic, Rade; Milenkovic, Tatjana; Mitrovic, Katarina; Todorovic, Sladjana; Plavsic, Ljiljana; Vukovic, Ana; Zdravkovic, Dragan

    2015-12-01

    Available data on metabolically healthy obese (MHO) phenotype in children suggest that gender, puberty, waist circumference, insulin sensitivity, and other laboratory predictors have a role in distinguishing these children from metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO) youth. The goal of this study was to identify predictors of MHO phenotype and to analyze glucose and insulin metabolism during oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in MHO children. OGTT was performed in 244 obese children and adolescents aged 4.6-18.9 years. Subjects were classified as MHO in case of no fulfilled criterion of metabolic syndrome except anthropometry or as MUO (≥2 fulfilled criteria). Among the subjects, 21.7 % had MHO phenotype, and they were more likely to be female, younger, and in earlier stages of pubertal development, with lower degree of abdominal obesity. Insulin resistance was the only independent laboratory predictor of MUO phenotype (OR 1.59, CI 1.13-2.25), with 82 % sensitivity and 60 % specificity for diagnosing MUO using HOMA-IR cutoff point of ≥2.85. Although no significant differences were observed in glucose regulation, MUO children had higher insulin demand throughout OGTT, with 1.53 times higher total insulin secretion. Further research is needed to investigate the possibility of targeted treatment of insulin resistance to minimize pubertal cross-over to MUO in obese children. • Substantial proportion of the obese youth (21-68 %) displays a metabolically healthy (MHO) phenotype. • Gender, puberty, waist circumference, insulin sensitivity, and lower levels of uric acid and transaminases have a possible role in distinguishing MHO from metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO) children. • Insulin resistance was found to be the only significant laboratory predictor of MUO when adjusted for gender, puberty, and the degree of abdominal obesity. • Besides basal insulin resistance, MUO children were found to have a significantly higher insulin secretion throughout OGTT in

  10. Time Trends in Fast Food Consumption and Its Association with Obesity among Children in China.

    PubMed

    Xue, Hong; Wu, Yang; Wang, Xiaoyu; Wang, Youfa

    2016-01-01

    Study the trends in Western fast food consumption (FFC) among Chinese school-age children and the association between FFC and obesity using nationwide survey data. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses were conducted to study the trends in FFC and the associations between FFC and weight status (overweight, obesity and body mass index (BMI) z-score). Longitudinal data from families were collected in the 2004 and 2009 China Health and Nutrition Survey (covering nine provinces throughout China). The analysis included 2656 Chinese children aged 6 to 18 years (1542 and 1114 children in the 2004 and 2009 survey, respectively). FFC (reported having consumed Western fast food in the past three months) has increased between 2004 and 2009, from 18.5% to 23.9% in those aged 6-18, and increased more rapidly among those aged 13-17, from 17.9% to 26.3%. The increase was significant in almost all groups by age, sex, family income, and residence. Our cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses did not detect a significant association between FFC and obesity/overweight or BMI z-score (e.g., for BMI z-score, boys: β = 0.02, 95% CI: -0.71, 0.75; girls: β = -0.14, 95% CI: -1.03, 0.75). FFC has increased in Chinese school-age children, especially in older children, boys, and those from low- and medium-income families, rural areas, and East China, but decreased among those from high-income families during 2004-2009. The data did not show a significant association between FFC and obesity.

  11. Growth pattern and age at menarche of obese girls in a transitional society.

    PubMed

    Jaruratanasirikul, S; Mo-suwan, L; Lebel, L

    1997-01-01

    Childhood obesity is an increasing problem in a transitional society such as Thailand. To study physical growth and puberty in obese children, a cross-sectional survey of growth and age at menarche was carried out in schoolgirls aged between 8 and 16 years old. The 3,120 girls were divided into two groups based on weight-for-height criteria. Girls with weight-for-height between 80 and 120% were classified as normal stature (2,625; 84.1%) and those more than 120% were obese (495; 15.9%). Using probit analysis, age at menarche in obese girls was 0.9 year earlier than normal stature girls (11.5 years vs 12.4 years). At age 12, obese girls were reaching menarche 2.8 times more when compared with the normal stature girls. In terms of growth pattern, obese girls were taller and grew faster during the prepubertal period, and then reached their final height earlier than the normal stature girls (13 years vs 15 years). The final height in obese girls was significantly shorter (153.0 cm and 155.0 cm, p = 0.01). We conclude that: 1) obese girls grow faster, have earlier menarche and then stop growing earlier, and 2) obese girls tend to be shorter as adults, compared with normal stature girls.

  12. Prevalence and stabilizing trends in overweight and obesity among children and adolescents in China, 2011-2015.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Jiguo; Wang, Huijun; Wang, Zhihong; Du, Wenwen; Su, Chang; Zhang, Ji; Jiang, Hongru; Jia, Xiaofang; Huang, Feifei; Ouyang, Yifei; Wang, Yun; Zhang, Bing

    2018-05-02

    The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity in developed countries appears to be plateauing. The purpose of this study was to provide the most recent data on the prevalence and trends in overweight and obesity among Chinese children and adolescents from 2011 to 2015. We used data collected in the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) and China Nutritional Transition Cohort Study (CNTCS). We used two waves of the survey in 12 provinces conducted in 2011 (aged 7-18 years; n = 1458) and 2015 (aged 7-18 years; n = 1084) to perform a trend analysis. We used data collected in 15 provinces (aged 7-18 years; n = 1617) to estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Chinese children and adolescents in 2015. In 2015, based on the Working Group for Obesity in China (WGOC) criteria, the prevalence of overweight and obesity were 14.0% (95% CI, 11.6-16.3) and 10.5% (95% CI, 8.4-12.6) in boys, and 9.7% (95% CI, 7.7-11.8) and 7.1% (95% CI, 5.2-8.9) in girls, respectively. The increase in BMI z-scores from 2011 to 2015 was statistically significant among adolescents (p = 0.0083), but not among children. No significant changes were observed in prevalence of overweight and obesity between 2011 and 2015, excepting adolescents aged 12-18 years (p = 0.0086). Since 2011, overweight has remained stable, and obesity has stabilized in children, though not in adolescents. Although levels of childhood overweight and obesity in China are not high compared to other developed countries, they remain concerning enough that effective policies and interventions need to be sustained and intensified for lowering rates of childhood overweight and obesity.

  13. Is there a rapid increase in prevalence of obesity in Polish children? An 18-year prospective observational study in Gdansk, Poland.

    PubMed

    Brzeziński, Michał; Jankowski, Marek; Jankowska, Agnieszka; Niedzielska, Aleksandra; Kamińska, Barbara

    2018-01-01

    The prevalence of overweight and obesity is not regularly screened among Polish children. Very few longitudinal data exist on the prevalence and increase of overweight and obesity in this population. The aim of the study was to analyze the prevalence of overweight and obesity among selected age categories of children from Gdansk, on the basis of 1992-2012 data. The anthropometric data (body weight and height, body mass index) of 70,329 children aged between 6 and 13 years were analyzed. Data were collected during annually performed child health measurements in schools by medical staff of Gdansk Center for Health Promotion during 1992-2012. No constant trend to increase or decrease in the prevalence of overweight or obesity was documented in any of the studied age groups ( p > 0.05). An age-related increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity was observed throughout all consecutive age categories in boys and in prepubertal girls ( p < 0.05). Overweight and obesity were significantly more frequent in girls than in boys from all age categories ( p < 0.05), except 12- and 13-year-old children ( p = 0.173; p = 0.973), in whom no gender-specific differences were documented. Our study did not confirm the previously reported growing tendency in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children. However, our findings point to an age-related increase in the prevalence of excess body weight in the pediatric population.

  14. Lifestyle behaviors of obese children following parental weight loss surgery.

    PubMed

    Watowicz, Rosanna P; Taylor, Christopher A; Eneli, Ihuoma U

    2013-02-01

    Following weight loss surgery (WLS), patients are expected to make diet and lifestyle changes which may lead to children mimicking the changing behaviors of their parents. The purpose of the study was to identify the differences in diet and lifestyle behaviors between obese children with and without a parent who received WLS. Medical records of 45 children whose parents had undergone WLS and 90 age- and gender-matched control children were reviewed from a weight loss program in a large Midwest children's hospital. Differences in dietary choices and behaviors, perceived barriers, and sedentary behaviors were examined between both groups. The mean age for the sample was 12.8 years. Children in the parental weight loss surgery (PWLS) group were more likely to eat two or more helpings of food at each sitting (p = 0.02) and less likely to play outdoors for more than an hour each day (p = 0.01). Compared to the control group, the PWLS group more frequently reported eating fast food on most days (45.2 vs. 27.0 %), soda consumption several times a week (48.6 vs. 29.4 %), and no vegetable intake (9.5 vs. 1.1 %). The top three barriers to exercise for both groups were lack of self-discipline, lack of interest, and lack of energy. Obese children who live with a parent that had undergone WLS reported several unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, in some cases worse than the children who live with parents who had not had WLS. Being cognizant of these findings will help obesity providers focus their counseling and expectations appropriately.

  15. [Prevalence of overwight and obesity among children under five years in Peru 2007-2010].

    PubMed

    Pajuelo-Ramírez, Jaime; Miranda-Cuadros, Marianella; Campos-Sánchez, Miguel; Sánchez-Abanto, José

    2011-06-01

    To estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children under five in Peru in the years 2007-2010 and to describe according to geographical areas, poverty levels, maternal education, breastfeeding, child age, sex and birth weight. continuous (repeated cross-sectional) multistage, random sampling survey from the universe of children under five-years and pregnant women living in Peru, divided into five geographical areas. Out of 3,669 children, 50.3% were males (Lima N=680, Remaining Coast N=763, Urban Sierra N=719, Rural Sierra N=699, Jungle N=808) having their weight and height measured according to international standards. The national prevalence of overweight and obesity was 6.9%, with Metropolitan Lima (10.1%) as the highest and in the Jungle (2.6%) as the lowest. Age, sex, geographical area and birth weight were identified as risk factors through multiple logistic regression. overweight and obesity are higher in Lima, during the first year of age and when birth weight is more than 2.5 Kg.

  16. Physical activity patterns in nonobese and obese children assessed using minute-by-minute accelerometry.

    PubMed

    Page, A; Cooper, A R; Stamatakis, E; Foster, L J; Crowne, E C; Sabin, M; Shield, J P H

    2005-09-01

    To determine the levels and patterns of physical activity in a sample of obese (> or =99th percentile body mass index (BMI)) and nonobese (<99th percentile BMI) children. Cross-sectional study. Children were recruited from schools in Bristol and from the childhood obesity clinic, Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. Children were instructed in the use of the accelerometer either while at school or in the clinic, and wore the instrument while carrying out their normal daily activities for 7 days. A total of 133 children (mean age 10.5+/-0.8 y). In all 11 (16.9%) of the 65 girls and 14 (20.6%) of the 68 boys were classified as obese (above the 99th percentile for BMI and corresponding to projected adult BMI of 30). Objectively measured physical activity volume, intensity and pattern. Obese children were significantly less physically active overall than their nonobese counterparts (31,844+/-13,200 vs 41,844+/-10,430 counts/h; 95% confidence interval 4407 to 15592; P=0.001). Similarly the obese children spent less time in physical activity of moderate or greater intensity than the nonobese children (9.9+/-3.9 vs 12.9+/-4.2 min/h; 95% confidence interval 1.15 to 4.80; P=0.002). Hourly patterns of activity indicated a tendency in obese children to be less active than nonobese children at times when activity was more likely to be determined by free choice, particularly outside of school time. Obese children demonstrated patterns of physical activity that may have contributed to and are likely to sustain their obesity. Minute-by-minute accelerometry is a valuable tool to investigate physical activity patterns in obese children. It can identify periods when intervention to increase activity may be most appropriate and provide an evidence base for specific exercise prescription in primary and secondary care.

  17. Poorer General Health Status in Children is Associated with being Overweight or Obese in Hawai‘i: Findings from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health

    PubMed Central

    Teranishi, Kristen; Iwaishi, Louise K; Fuddy, Loretta J

    2011-01-01

    Obesity is a widespread national issue that affects the health and well-being of millions of people; particular attention has been focused on the burden among children. The National Survey of Children's Health data from 2007 was used to examine the relationship of child health status and unhealthy weight (overweight/obese defined as body mass index in ≥85th percentile) among 874 children aged 10 to 17 years of age in Hawai‘i. In particular, the parentally reported child's general health status was assessed comparing those with a poorer health status (defined as “good/fair/poor”) to those with a better one (defined as “excellent/very good”). Descriptive analysis and multiple logistic regression analysis examined risk for overweight/obese with child's general health status, accounting for gender, race, and socioeconomic factors. More children with a poorer health status (46.5%; 95%CI=33.2–60.2) were overweight/obese compared to those of better health status (25.8%; 95%CI=21.9–30.2). Estimates of overweight/obese were high in Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (38.6%; 95%CI: 28.9–49.4), multiracial (30.9%; 95%CI=24.2–38.6) children, and children whose parents had less than 12 years education (56.8%; 95%CI=32.8–78.0). Multivariate logistic regression modeling showed a 2.92 (95%CI=1.52–5.61) greater odds for overweight/obese status in children with a poorer health status compared to those of better health status after accounting for age, race, gender, and parental education. Gender, race, and parental education were also significant factors associated with overweight/obese in the final adjusted model. It is important that children that are overweight or obese receive appropriate health screenings including assessments of general health status. Children in high risk socioeconomic groups should be a particular focus of prevention efforts to promote health equity and provide opportunities for children to reach their potential. PMID:21886288

  18. Irisin and its relation to insulin resistance and puberty in obese children: a longitudinal analysis.

    PubMed

    Reinehr, Thomas; Elfers, Clinton; Lass, Nina; Roth, Christian L

    2015-05-01

    Irisin is a recently identified myokine affecting metabolic and glucose homeostasis. However, the role of irisin in obesity and its metabolic consequences are controversial, and data in children are scarce. To study the relationships between irisin, insulin resistance, and puberty before and after weight loss in obese children with and without impaired glucose tolerance. One-year follow-up study in obese children participating in a lifestyle intervention. Primary care. Forty obese children and 20 normal-weight children of similar age, gender, and pubertal stage. A 1-year outpatient intervention program based on exercise, behavior, and nutrition therapy. Fasting serum irisin, weight status (body mass index [BMI] SD score), and the following parameters of the metabolic syndrome: insulin resistance index (homeostasis model of assessment), blood pressure, and lipids. The irisin levels were the highest in obese children with impaired glucose tolerance, followed by obese children with normal glucose tolerance, and levels were lowest in normal-weight children (P < .001). In a multiple linear regression analysis, baseline irisin was significantly associated with pubertal stage, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and homeostasis model of assessment, but not to age, gender, BMI, or any other parameter of the metabolic syndrome. The irisin concentrations were significantly (P = .010) lower in the prepubertal compared to the pubertal children. In longitudinal analyses, changes of irisin were significantly associated with entry into puberty, change of fasting glucose, and 2-hour glucose in an oral glucose tolerance test, but not with change of BMI or any other parameter. Irisin levels are related to pubertal stage and insulin resistance but not to weight status in childhood.

  19. Obesity increases the risk of renal involvement in children with Henoch-Schönlein purpura.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Yong-Li; Liu, Zheng-Juan; Bai, Xue-Mei; Wang, Yu-Chuan; Li, Guo-Hua; Yan, Xue-Yan

    2015-10-01

    The main aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between obesity and renal involvement in children with Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP). A retrospective study of 141 pediatric patients with HSP was conducted in our hospital. The clinical data of all patients were collected from the electronic medical record management system from January 2010 to June 2014. The possible risk factors of renal involvement, especially obesity, were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses. Renal involvement occurred in 45/141 of the patients. A univariate analysis showed that an age more than 7 years at onset, persistent purpura, obesity, time from symptoms onset to diagnosis more than 14 days, and decreased C3 all increased the risk of renal involvement in HSP. The forward stepwise logistic regression analysis indicated obesity (odds ratio (OR) 4.43, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.896 to 10.358), age more than 7 years at onset (OR 2.81, 95 % CI 1.142 to 6.907), and persistent purpura (OR 2.57, 95 % CI 1.119 to 5.909) were independent risk factors for renal involvement. Our results show that obesity can increase the hazard of renal involvement in children with HSP and reconfirm that older age at onset and persistent purpura are the independent risk factors for renal involvement. • There have been some reports that obesity was associated with the development of renal injury. • It is not clear whether obesity can increase the risk of renal involvement in children with HSP. What is New: • The main finding of this study is that obesity can increase the hazard of renal involvement in children with HSP.

  20. Obesity prevention in children.

    PubMed

    Moreno, Luis A; Bel-Serrat, Silvia; Santaliestra-Pasías, Alba M; Rodríguez, Gerardo

    2013-01-01

    The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity continues to be unacceptably high and of public health concern in Europe. During childhood and adolescence, environmental factors are the main drivers of obesity development. Obesity is caused by a chronic energy imbalance involving both dietary intake and physical activity patterns. Several risk factors are influencing obesity development, even starting in the prenatal period. From birth, along life, mainly diet and physical activity/inactivity are the most important drivers on top of genetic susceptibility. The first years of life can therefore be crucial to start preventive interventions that can have an impact on lifestyle and on later overweight and obesity. Schools are an attractive and popular setting for implementing interventions for children. Interventions including a community component are considered to be the most effective. Obesity control will require policy interventions to improve the environments that promote poor dietary intake and physical inactivity rather than individually focused interventions. More solid institutional and health policies are needed together with more effective interventions to obtain evident changes for the prevention of excess adiposity among children. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  1. Economic Differences in Risk Factors for Obesity among Overweight and Obese Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Hee Soon; Ham, Ok Kyung; Jang, Mi Na; Yun, Hyun Jung; Park, Jiyoung

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to identify the economic differences in familial, physiological, psychological, and lifestyle characteristics associated with overweight and obese children in South Korea. A total of 407 overweight and obese children participated in the study. The obesity rate was 69.0% and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) was…

  2. Contribution of Common Genetic Variants to Obesity and Obesity-Related Traits in Mexican Children and Adults

    PubMed Central

    Villalobos-Comparán, Marisela; Villarreal-Molina, Teresa; Romero-Hidalgo, Sandra; López-Contreras, Blanca; Gutiérrez-Vidal, Roxana; Vega-Badillo, Joel; Jacobo-Albavera, Leonor; Posadas-Romeros, Carlos; Canizalez-Román, Adrián; Río-Navarro, Blanca Del; Campos-Pérez, Francisco; Acuña-Alonzo, Victor; Aguilar-Salinas, Carlos; Canizales-Quinteros, Samuel

    2013-01-01

    Background Several studies have identified multiple obesity-associated loci mainly in European populations. However, their contribution to obesity in other ethnicities such as Mexicans is largely unknown. The aim of this study was to examine 26 obesity-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in a sample of Mexican mestizos. Methods 9 SNPs in biological candidate genes showing replications (PPARG, ADRB3, ADRB2, LEPR, GNB3, UCP3, ADIPOQ, UCP2, and NR3C1), and 17 SNPs in or near genes associated with obesity in first, second and third wave GWAS (INSIG2, FTO, MC4R, TMEM18, FAIM2/BCDIN3, BDNF, SH2B1, GNPDA2, NEGR1, KCTD15, SEC16B/RASAL2, NPC1, SFRF10/ETV5, MAF, PRL, MTCH2, and PTER) were genotyped in 1,156 unrelated Mexican-Mestizos including 683 cases (441 obese class I/II and 242 obese class III) and 473 normal-weight controls. In a second stage we selected 12 of the SNPs showing nominal associations with obesity, to seek associations with quantitative obesity-related traits in 3 cohorts including 1,218 Mexican Mestizo children, 945 Mexican Mestizo adults, and 543 Indigenous Mexican adults. Results After adjusting for age, sex and admixture, significant associations with obesity were found for 6 genes in the case-control study (ADIPOQ, FTO, TMEM18, INSIG2, FAIM2/BCDIN3 and BDNF). In addition, SH2B1 was associated only with class I/II obesity and MC4R only with class III obesity. SNPs located at or near FAIM2/BCDIN3, TMEM18, INSIG2, GNPDA2 and SEC16B/RASAL2 were significantly associated with BMI and/or WC in the combined analysis of Mexican-mestizo children and adults, and FTO locus was significantly associated with increased BMI in Indigenous Mexican populations. Conclusions Our findings replicate the association of 8 obesity-related SNPs with obesity risk in Mexican adults, and confirm the role of some of these SNPs in BMI in Mexican adults and children. PMID:23950976

  3. Serum Fetuin-A levels in obese children with biopsy proven nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

    PubMed

    Pampanini, V; Inzaghi, E; Germani, D; Alterio, A; Puglianiello, A; Alisi, A; Nobili, V; Cianfarani, S

    2018-01-01

    Fetuin-A has been proposed as a marker of liver damage in adults with obesity-related NAFLD. The aim of this study was to test serum fetuin-A concentrations in obese children with NAFLD diagnosed either by ultrasonography or by liver biopsy and to determine its applicability as predictive tool in pediatric NAFLD. Metabolic parameters and fetuin-A levels were investigated in 81 obese children with NAFLD diagnosed by biopsy, 79 obese children with NAFLD defined by liver ultrasonography and 23 lean subjects. Serum fetuin-A correlated significantly with age, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, fasting insulin and 2-h postload insulin during OGTT, HOMA-IR, ISI, CRP, and apo B levels. Obese children with NAFLD detected by ultrasonography had significantly higher fetuin-A levels compared to those with normal liver. In obese children who underwent liver biopsy, no significant differences were detected in fetuin-A levels between subject with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and those with simple steatosis. Fetuin-A was not different between obese and lean children. Fetuin-A is not related with the degree of liver damage in obese children with NAFLD and its routine measurement as marker of liver disease severity is therefore not recommended. Copyright © 2017 The Italian Society of Diabetology, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition, and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Overweight and obesity in children with newly diagnosed inflammatory bowel disease.

    PubMed

    Pituch-Zdanowska, Aleksandra; Banaszkiewicz, Aleksandra; Dziekiewicz, Marcin; Łazowska-Przeorek, Izabella; Gawrońska, Agnieszka; Kowalska-Duplaga, Kinga; Iwańczak, Barbara; Klincewicz, Beata; Grzybowska-Chlebowczyk, Urszula; Walkowiak, Jarosław; Albrecht, Piotr

    2016-03-01

    Determination of overweight and obesity prevalence in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) at the time of diagnosis. This was a multicenter retrospective study. The study group consisted of children with new cases of IBD diagnosed in 2005-2013 according to the Porto criteria. Hospital admission records were reviewed for demographic and clinical characteristics. BMI-for-age and gender percentile charts were used to define overweight as ≥85th BMI percentile and obesity as ≥95th BMI percentile. 675 patients were evaluated: 368 with Crohn's disease (CD) and 307 with ulcerative colitis (UC). Of these, 54.8% were boys and 45.2% were girls. There were no statistically significant differences in age, weight, height and disease activity between the CD and UC patients. The UC patients had higher BMI values than the CD patients. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was higher in the UC than the CD patients (4.89% CI95 2.76-7.93 vs. 2.45% CI95 1.12-4.59 and 8.47% CI95 5.61-12.16 vs. 1.9% CI95 0.77-3.88, respectively); the differences were statistically significant (-2.44% CI95 -5.45 to 0.49 and -6.57% CI95 -10 to -3.1, respectively). The risk of overweight/obesity was 3.5 times higher for patients with UC (OR=0.272, CI95 0.14-0.49, p=0.0004). The prevalence of overweight and obesity in newly diagnosed children with IBD was 8.4% and was higher in patients with UC than in patients with CD. The results of this study have shown that not only malnourished children may suffer from IBD but also children who are overweight or obese at the time of diagnosis. Copyright © 2015 Medical University of Bialystok. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.

  5. Factors associated with obesity in Chinese-American children.

    PubMed

    Chen, Jyu-Lin; Kennedy, Christine

    2005-01-01

    A cross-sectional study design was utilized to examine factors associated with obesity in Chinese-American children. Chinese-American children (8 to 10 years old) and their mothers (N = 68) in California participated in the study. Mothers completed demographic information, the Family Assessment Device, Attitudes Toward Child Rearing Scale, and Suinn-Lew Asian Self-identity Acculturation Scale. Children's body mass index was measured, and children completed a self-administered physical activity checklist, Food Frequency Questionnaire, and the Schoolagers' Coping Strategies Inventory. Results indicated three variables that predicted children's body mass index: older age, a more democratic parenting style, and poor communication (R2=.263, F=8.727, p = .0001). Children whose mothers had a low level of acculturation were also more likely to be overweight than were children whose mothers were highly acculturated. This study revealed that children's ages, a democratic parenting style, and poor family communication contribute to increased body mass index in Chinese-American children. Other factors related to children's BMI and dietary intake include acculturation level of the mother and family affective responses. Future studies should examine the change in BMI over time and in different age groups and why parenting and family communication impact children's body weight.

  6. Effect of Obesity Level on the Longitudinal Arch in 7- to 12-Year-Old Rural and Urban Children.

    PubMed

    Woźniacka, Renata; Bac, Aneta; Matusik, Stanisław

    2015-11-01

    We sought to evaluate the influence of obesity level on the medial longitudinal arch (MLA) of the foot in 7- to 12-year-old children. The study group consisted of 925 children (450 girls and 475 boys). All of the children were subjected to podoscopic foot examination and measurement of weight, height, three skinfolds, fat weight, and fat-free body weight. The most common type of MLA was high-arched foot, which was observed in the left foot of 523 children (56.5%) and in the right foot in 592 children (64%). In almost all of the age groups, high-arched foot was the most common disorder. High-arched foot was more common in girls than in boys, and boys displayed a higher percentage of flatfoot. Also, sex-related differences were more prominent in urban children. There was a strongly positive correlation between obesity level and MLA in the examined group. These results suggest that the type of foot arch is influenced by parameters such as age, sex, and obesity level. High-arched foot seemed to be the most frequent pathologic abnormality in the examined group, and flatfoot, which was predominant in boys and obese children, diminished with age. High-arched foot was a more common MLA type than flatfoot regardless of obesity level assessed on the basis of body mass index and sum of three skinfolds.

  7. A longitudinal study of food insecurity on obesity in preschool children.

    PubMed

    Metallinos-Katsaras, Elizabeth; Must, Aviva; Gorman, Kathleen

    2012-12-01

    Obesity and its co-occurrence with household food insecurity among low-income families is a public health concern, particularly because both are associated with later adverse health consequences. Our aim was to examine the relationship between household food insecurity with and without hunger in infancy and later childhood with weight status at 2 to 5 years. This longitudinal study uses household food-security status, weight, and height data collected at the first infancy and last child (2 to 5 years) Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children visits. Household food security was based on parent/caretaker responses to a four-question subscale of the 18-item Core Food Security Module. Obesity was defined as sex-specific body mass index for age ≥ 95th percentile. A diverse (58.6% non-white) low-income sample of 28,353 children participating in the Massachusetts Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (2001-2006); 24.9% of infants and 23.1% of children lived in food-insecure households and 17.1% were obese at their last child visit. Multivariate logistic regression analyses assessed the association between household food-security status during the infant and child visits, and risk of preschool obesity, while controlling for child race/Hispanic ethnicity, sex, child and household size, maternal age, education, and prepregnancy weight. Interactions between these covariates and household food-security status were also examined. In cases of multiple comparisons, a Bonferroni correction was applied. Persistent household food insecurity without hunger was associated with 22% greater odds of child obesity (odds ratio=1.22; 95% CI 1.06 to 1.41) compared with those persistently food secure (P<0.05). Maternal prepregnancy weight status modified this association with children of underweight (adjusted odds ratio=3.22; 95% CI 1.70 to 6.11; P=0.003) or overweight/obese (adjusted odds ratio=1.34; 95% CI 1.11 to 1.62; P=0

  8. Time Trends in Fast Food Consumption and Its Association with Obesity among Children in China

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Xiaoyu; Wang, Youfa

    2016-01-01

    Objective Study the trends in Western fast food consumption (FFC) among Chinese school-age children and the association between FFC and obesity using nationwide survey data. Design Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses were conducted to study the trends in FFC and the associations between FFC and weight status (overweight, obesity and body mass index (BMI) z-score). Setting Longitudinal data from families were collected in the 2004 and 2009 China Health and Nutrition Survey (covering nine provinces throughout China). Subjects The analysis included 2656 Chinese children aged 6 to 18 years (1542 and 1114 children in the 2004 and 2009 survey, respectively). Results FFC (reported having consumed Western fast food in the past three months) has increased between 2004 and 2009, from 18.5% to 23.9% in those aged 6–18, and increased more rapidly among those aged 13–17, from 17.9% to 26.3%. The increase was significant in almost all groups by age, sex, family income, and residence. Our cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses did not detect a significant association between FFC and obesity/overweight or BMI z-score (e.g., for BMI z-score, boys: β = 0.02, 95% CI: -0.71, 0.75; girls: β = -0.14, 95% CI: -1.03, 0.75). Conclusions FFC has increased in Chinese school-age children, especially in older children, boys, and those from low- and medium-income families, rural areas, and East China, but decreased among those from high-income families during 2004–2009. The data did not show a significant association between FFC and obesity. PMID:26974536

  9. Hormonal and metabolic responses to a resistance exercise protocol in lean children, obese children and lean adults.

    PubMed

    Rubin, Daniela A; Castner, Diobel M; Pham, Hoang; Ng, Jason; Adams, Eric; Judelson, Daniel A

    2014-11-01

    During childhood, varying exercise modalities are recommended to stimulate normal growth, development, and health. This project investigated hormonal and metabolic responses triggered by a resistance exercise protocol in lean children (age: 9.3 ± 1.4 y, body fat: 18.3 ± 4.9%), obese children (age: 9.6 ± 1.3 y, body fat: 40.3 ± 5.2%) and lean adults (age: 23.3 ± 2.4 y, body fat: 12.7 ± 2.9%). The protocol consisted of stepping onto a raised platform (height = 20% of stature) while wearing a weighted vest (resistance = 50% of lean body mass). Participants completed 6 sets of 10 repetitions per leg with a 1-min rest period between sets. Blood samples were obtained at rest preexercise, immediately postexercise and 2 times throughout the 1-hr recovery to analyze possible changes in hormones and metabolites. Children-adult differences included a larger exercise-induced norepinephrine increase in adults vs. children and a decrease in glucagon in children but not adults. Similarities between adults and children were observed for GH-IGF-1 axis responses. Metabolically, children presented with lower glycolytic and increased fat metabolism after exercise than adults did. Obesity in childhood negatively influenced GH, insulin, and glucose concentrations. While adults occasionally differed from children, amount of activated lean mass, not maturation, likely drove these dissimilarities.

  10. The Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Val66Met Polymorphism, Delivery Method, Birth Weight, and Night Sleep Duration as Determinants of Obesity in Vietnamese Children of Primary School Age.

    PubMed

    Tuyet, Le Thi; Nhung, Bui Thi; Dao, Duong Thi Anh; Hanh, Nguyen Thi Hong; Tuyen, Le Danh; Binh, Tran Quang; Thuc, Vu Thi Minh

    2017-10-01

    Obesity is a complex disease that involves both environmental and genetic factors in its pathogenesis. Several studies have identified multiple obesity-associated loci in many populations. However, their contribution to obesity in the Vietnamese population is not fully described, especially in children. The study aimed to investigate the association of obesity with Val66Met polymorphism in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene, delivery method, birth weight, and lifestyle factors in Vietnamese primary school children. A case-control study was conducted on 559 children aged 6-11 years (278 obese cases and 281 normal controls). The obesity of the children was classified using both criteria of International Obesity Task Force (IOTF, 2000) and World Health Organization (WHO, 2007). Lifestyle factors, birth delivery, and birth weight of the children were self-reported by parents. The BDNF genotype was analyzed using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Association was evaluated by multivariate logistic regression and cross-validated by the Bayesian model averaging method. The most significantly independent factors for obesity were delivery method (cesarean section vs. vaginal delivery, β = 0.56, p = 0.007), birth weight (>3500 to <4000 g vs. 2500-3500 g, β = 0.52, p = 0.035; ≥4000 g vs. 2500-3500 g, β = 1.06, p = 0.015), night sleep duration (<8 h/day vs. ≥8 h/day, β = 0.99, p < 0.0001), and BDNF Val66Met polymorphism (AA and GG vs. AG, β = 0.38, p = 0.039). The study suggested the significant association of delivery method, birth weight, night sleep duration, and BDNF Val66Met polymorphism, with obesity in Vietnamese primary school children.

  11. Childhood obesity and self-esteem.

    PubMed

    Strauss, R S

    2000-01-01

    Although childhood obesity may have detrimental consequences for childhood self-esteem, the prevalence and magnitude of this problem is controversial. In addition, the social and emotional effects of decreased self-esteem in obese children are unknown. A total of 1520 children, 9 to 10 years of age, born to mothers in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth were studied. Comprehensive demographic data including race and family income were available in 97% of the cohort. Self-esteem was measured using Self-Perception Profile for Children. The 4-year follow-up Self-Perception Profile for Children scores were available in 79% of the children. Obesity was defined as a body mass index greater than the 95th percentile for age and gender. Additional data include a self-administered questionnaire at 13 to 14 years of age concerning emotional well being, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Data were stratified by race and gender. The data were weighted to reflect a nationally representative sample of children born to mothers 17 to 28 years of age. Scholastic and global self-esteem scores were not significantly different among 9- to 10-year-old obese and nonobese children. However, over the 4-year period, obese Hispanic females and obese white females showed significantly decreased levels of global self-esteem compared with nonobese Hispanic females and nonobese white females, respectively. Mild decreases in self-esteem also were observed in obese boys compared with nonobese boys. As a result, by 13 to 14 years of age, significantly lower levels of self-esteem were observed in obese boys, obese Hispanic girls, and obese white girls compared with their nonobese counterparts. Decreasing levels of self-esteem in obese children were associated with significantly increased rates of sadness, loneliness, and nervousness compared with obese children whose self-esteem increased or remained unchanged. In addition, obese children with decreasing levels of self-esteem over the 4-year

  12. Excess body mass is associated with T cell differentiation indicative of immune aging in children

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Obesity has been associated with accelerated biological ageing and immunosenescence. As the prevalence of childhood obesity is increasing, we wanted to determine if associations between obesity and immunosenescence would manifest in children. We studied 123 Mexican American adolescents aged 10–14 (m...

  13. Prevalence of incorrect body posture in children and adolescents with overweight and obesity.

    PubMed

    Maciałczyk-Paprocka, Katarzyna; Stawińska-Witoszyńska, Barbara; Kotwicki, Tomasz; Sowińska, Anna; Krzyżaniak, Alicja; Walkowiak, Jarosław; Krzywińska-Wiewiorowska, Małgorzata

    2017-05-01

    The ever increasing epidemics of overweight and obesity in school children may be one of the reasons of the growing numbers of children with incorrect body posture. The purpose of the study was the assessment of the prevalence of incorrect body posture in children and adolescents with overweight and obesity in Poznań, Poland. The population subject to study consisted of 2732 boys and girls aged 3-18 with obesity, overweight, and standard body mass. The assessment of body mass was performed based on BMI, adopting Cole's cutoff values. The evaluation of body posture was performed according to the postural error chart based on criteria complied by professor Dega. The prevalence rates of postural errors were significantly higher among children and adolescents with overweight and obesity than among the group with standard body mass. In the overweight group, it amounted to 69.2% and in the obese group to 78.6%.  The most common postural deviations in obese children and adolescents were valgus knees and flat feet. Overweight and obesity in children and adolescents, predisposing to higher incidence of some types of postural errors, call for prevention programs addressing both health problems. What is Known: • The increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents has drawn attention to additional health complications which may occur in this population such as occurrence of incorrect body posture. What is New: • The modified chart of postural errors proved to be an effective tool in the assessment of incorrect body posture. • This chart may be used in the assessment of posture during screening tests and prevention actions at school.

  14. Possible role of birth weight on general and central obesity in Chinese children and adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Yuan, Zhe-Pin; Yang, Min; Liang, Li; Fu, Jun-Fen; Xiong, Feng; Liu, Ge-Li; Gong, Chun-Xiu; Luo, Fei-Hong; Chen, Shao-Ke; Zhang, Dan-Dan; Zhang, Shuai; Zhu, Yi-Min

    2015-10-01

    According to the developmental origins of health and disease theory, fetal nutrition is associated with obesity and chronic diseases in children and adults. However, previous findings regarding the association between birth weight and childhood obesity have been inconsistent. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between birth weight and childhood obesity in China. The 16,580 subjects (8477 boys and 8103 girls) aged 7-17 years, who participated in this study were recruited from a cross-sectional study in six cities in China. Epidemiological data, including birth information, were collected through face-to-face interviews, and anthropometric indices were measured by trained physicians. Overweight and obese cases were defined using sex-specific and age-specific 85th and 95th percentile body mass index (BMI) cutoffs for Han children and adolescents. Central obesity was defined using sex-specific waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) cutoffs (WHtR ≥0.48 in boys and WHtR ≥0.46 for girls). The overall rate of overweight status and obesity was 20.3% in the Chinese children and adolescents and that of central obesity was 18.9%. Subjects were stratified into eight groups according to weight at birth. J-shaped relationships were observed between birth weight and BMI for age Z-score and WHtR. After adjusting for confounders such as gender, gestational age, parental factors, and dietary factors, the risk of overweight and obese status was still higher in the children with higher birth weights than in children with birth weights of 3000-3499 g (3500-3999 g: odds ratio [OR] = 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02-1.28; 4000-4499 g: OR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.19-1.63; and 4500-4999 g: OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.06-1.76). Moderately high birth weight also increased the risk of central obesity. Relative to the children with normal birth weights (3000-3499 g), the adjusted OR and 95% CI were 1.33 (1.13-1.56) in children with birth weights of 4000-4499 g. Children

  15. Motor Skills of Obese and Severely Obese Children and Adolescents - A CIRCUIT Study.

    PubMed

    Häcker, Anna-Luisa; Bigras, Jean-Luc; Henderson, Mélanie; Barnett, Tracie A; Mathieu, Marie-Eve

    2017-11-27

    During childhood, excessive weight is negatively associated with the development of motor skills, with children with overweight or obesity having poorer motor skills compared to children with normal weight. The objectives of the current study are to identify the differences in motor skills between children and adolescent with obesity and severe obesity and the extent of this difference. To do so, we examined cross-sectionally 165 subjects. Physical fitness was analyzed in both participants with obesity (>97-99.9 BMI percentile) and severe obesity (>99.9 BMI percentile) using eight standardized tests: sit-and-reach, grip force, sit-ups, push-ups, balance, hand-eye coordination, standing long jump and 5-meter shuttle run. Poorer performance were observed in participants with severe obesity in sit-ups (children: 59%; 18.6±17.0 percentile value vs. 29.5±23.2 percentile value, p=0.008), balance (adolescent: 59%; 12.1±12.2 sec. v. 19.3±13.9 sec., p=0.034) and in the 5-meter shuttle run (children: 49%; 14.0±13.9 percentile value vs. 20.8 ± 19.4 percentile value, p=0.046; adolescents: 11%; 13.2±2.2 sec. vs. 11.8±1.6 sec., p=0.008) compared to obese counterparts. In conclusion, while physical performance was found to be similar between the different obesity levels for the majority of tests, youth with severe obesity demonstrated impairments ranging from 11 to 59% in specific tests.

  16. Relationship between chronic otitis media with effusion and overweight or obesity in children.

    PubMed

    Kaya, S; Selimoğlu, E; Cureoğlu, S; Selimoğlu, M A

    2017-10-01

    Otitis media with effusion and obesity are both common in childhood and might share some immunological alterations. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between chronic otitis media with effusion and childhood overweight or obesity, including the potential effects of adenoid or tonsillar hypertrophy on that relationship. This study included 60 children with chronic otitis media with effusion and 86 healthy children aged from 2 to 10 years. Measures of height and weight were used to calculate the body mass index, weight for height and weight z score. The prevalence of overweight or obesity was higher in children with chronic otitis media with effusion, according to the weight for height percentiles (p = 0.012). However, neither the presence of adenoid or tonsillar hypertrophy nor the degree of adenoid hypertrophy was associated with overweight or obesity. Overweight and obesity might be risk factors for developing chronic otitis media with effusion, or vice versa.

  17. [The effects of a multi agent obesity control program in obese school children].

    PubMed

    Ahn, Hye Young; Im, Sook Bin; Hong, Kyung Ja; Hur, Myung Haeng

    2007-02-01

    The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of a multi agent obesity control program in obese school children. This program was composed of strategies to modify diet and exercise habits and to change cognitive behavior variables(stress, coping, and self-efficacy). The subjects were 40 obese school children who participated in our project voluntarily via homepage, TV, newspaper, public paper and school official documents. The program was implemented daily for 4 sessions per day for ten days from August 16 to 26, 2004. The daily program consisted of exercise therapy, dance therapy, cognitive behavior therapy and aroma therapy. The data was analyzed by paired t-test using the SPSSWIN program. There was a significant decrease in children's waist-hip ratio (p=.04) and in children's stress (p=.00) after the program. There was a significant increase in children's self-confidence after the program(p=.02) and a significant decrease in children's diet habit after the program(p=.02). This study provides evidence that a multiagent obese control program is effective in changing waist-hip ratio, stress, self-confidence, and diet habits in obese school children.

  18. Is There an Association Between Cortisol and Hypertension in Overweight or Obese Children?

    PubMed

    Wirix, Aleid Jg; Finken, Martijn Jj; von Rosenstiel-Jadoul, Ines A; Heijboer, Annemieke C; Nauta, Jeroen; Groothoff, Jaap W; Chinapaw, Mai Jm; Kist-van Holthe, Joana E

    2017-12-15

    The precise mechanisms behind the development of hypertension in overweight or obese children are not yet completely understood. Alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity may play a role. We aimed to investigate the association between cortisol parameters and hypertension in overweight or obese children. Random urine (n=180) and early-morning saliva samples (n=126) for assessment of cortisol and cortisone were collected from 1) hypertensive overweight children (n=50), 2) normotensive overweight children (n=145), and 3) normotensive non-overweight children (n=75). The age of participants was 10.4±3.3 years and 53% were boys. The urinary cortisol-to-cortisone ratio [β 1.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05-1.19] as well as urinary cortisol/creatinine (β 1.38, 95% CI 1.09-1.54), and cortisone/creatinine ratios (β 1.26, 95% CI 1.17-1.36) were significantly higher in overweight or obese than in non-overweight children. After adjusting for body mass index-standard deviation score and urinary cortisone/creatinine ratio, but not cortisol/creatinine ratio, was significantly associated with presence of hypertension (β 1.12, 95% CI 1.02-1.23). Salivary cortisol and cortisone levels were significantly lower in overweight or obese than in non-overweight children (β -4.67, 95% CI -8.19- -1.15, and β 0.89, 95% CI 0.80-0.97 respectively). There were no significant differences in cortisol parameters between hypertensive and normotensive overweight or obese children. This study provided further evidence for an increased cortisol production rate with decreased renal 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 activity and flattening of early-morning peak cortisol and cortisone in overweight or obese children. However, there were no significant differences in cortisol parameters between hypertensive and normotensive overweight and obese children.

  19. Reducing Hispanic children's obesity risk factors in the first 1000 days of life: a qualitative analysis.

    PubMed

    Woo Baidal, Jennifer A; Criss, Shaniece; Goldman, Roberta E; Perkins, Meghan; Cunningham, Courtney; Taveras, Elsie M

    2015-01-01

    Modifiable behaviors during the first 1000 days (conception age 24 months) mediate Hispanic children's obesity disparities. We aimed to examine underlying reasons for early life obesity risk factors and identify potential early life intervention strategies. We conducted 7 focus groups with 49 Hispanic women who were pregnant or had children < age 24 months. Domains included influences on childhood obesity risk factors and future intervention ideas. We analyzed data with immersion-crystallization methods until no new themes emerged. Themes included coping with pregnancy may trump healthy eating and physical activity; early life weight gain is unrelated to later life obesity; fear of infant hunger drives bottle and early solids introduction; beliefs about infant taste promote early solids and sugary beverage introduction; and belief that screen time promotes infant development. Mothers identified physicians, nutritionists, and relatives as important health information sources and expressed interest in mobile technology and group or home visits for interventions. Opportunities exist in the first 1000 days to improve Hispanic mothers' understanding of the role of early life weight gain in childhood obesity and other obesity risk factors. Interventions that link health care and public health systems and include extended family may prevent obesity among Hispanic children.

  20. Insulin-sensitive obese children display a favorable metabolic profile.

    PubMed

    Vukovic, Rade; Mitrovic, Katarina; Milenkovic, Tatjana; Todorovic, Sladjana; Soldatovic, Ivan; Sipetic-Grujicic, Sandra; Zdravkovic, Dragan

    2013-02-01

    Most of what is known about the metabolically healthy obese phenomenon is derived from studies in the adult population and no standardized criteria to identify these individuals exist to date. The aim of this study was to determine if the preserved insulin sensitivity evaluated by homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index is associated with favorable metabolic profile in the obese children. We studied a group of 248 children and adolescents (150 female, 98 male), aged 5.9-18.9 years with diet-induced obesity (BMI >95th percentile). The entire cohort was divided into quartiles based on levels of insulin resistance determined by HOMA-IR index. Subjects in the lower quartile of HOMA-IR were classified as insulin-sensitive group (ISG), whereas children in the upper quartile were categorized as insulin-resistant group (IRG). The ISG subjects had values of HOMA-IR ≤2.75 while the children from the IRG group had HOMA-IR ≥6.16. Subjects from ISG group had lower basal β-cell activity and were less likely to have impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance. Concentrations of LDL and total cholesterol, triglycerides, and transaminases were lower and HDL cholesterol levels were higher in ISG subjects. Findings obtained by the use of Matsuda index correlated well with the findings obtained by the use of HOMA-IR. Lower HOMA-IR values were significantly associated with favorable metabolic profile in studied children, which correlates with findings in the adult population and emphasizes the need for further, longitudinal studies of insulin resistance development in childhood obesity.

  1. Community participatory physical activity intervention targets children at high risk for obesity

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    This community participatory research evaluated the feasibility of a summer soccer and nutrition education program to increase physical activity (PA) in rural Mississippi Delta children at high risk of obesity and previously not exposed to soccer. Children aged 4-12 were recruited through school and...

  2. Anthropometric characteristics of primary school-aged children: accuracy of perception and differences by gender, age and BMI.

    PubMed

    Cattelino, E; Bina, M; Skanjeti, A M; Calandri, E

    2015-11-01

    Body perception has been mainly studied in adolescents and adults in relation to eating disorders and obesity because such conditions are usually associated with distortion in the perception of body size. The development of body perception in children was rather neglected despite the relevance of this issue in understanding the aetiology of health eating problems. The main aim of this study was to investigate body weight and body height perception in children by gender, age and body mass index (BMI), taking into account differences among underweight, healthy weight, overweight and obese children. A school-based sample of 572 Italian children (49% boys) aged 6-10 were involved in a cross-sectional survey. Current weight and height were measured by standard protocols, and BMI was calculated and converted in centile categories using the Italian growth curves for children. Perceived weight and height were assessed using visual methods (figures representing children of different weight and height). About a third of the children do not show to have an accurate perception of their weight and height (weight: 36%; height: 32%): as for weight, an error of underestimation prevails and as for height, an error of overestimation prevails. In general, children who have different weight and height from the average tend to perceive their physical characteristics closer to average. However, overweight children underestimate their weight much more than obese children. Distortions in the perception of their physical features, weight and height, appear to be related to the aesthetic models of Western culture. The tendency to underestimate weight, particularly in overweight children, has implications in interventions for health promotion and healthy lifestyle in school-aged children. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Recent trends in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Canadian children

    PubMed Central

    Rodd, Celia; Sharma, Atul K.

    2016-01-01

    Background: Previous studies have shown an increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Canadian children from 23.3% to 34.7% during 1978–2004. We examined the most recent trends by applying current definitions of overweight and obesity based on World Health Organization (WHO) body mass index (BMI) thresholds and recently validated norms for waist circumference and waist:height ratio. Methods: We examined directly measured height and weight data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (2004–2005) and the Canadian Health Measures Survey (2009–2013). We calculated z scores for BMI, height and weight based on the 2014 WHO growth charts for Canada, including the new extension of weight-for-age beyond 10 years. To calculate z scores for waist circumference and waist:height ratios, we used new charts from the reference population in the US NHANES III (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988–1994). Results: Data were available for 14 014 children aged 3–19 years for the period 2004–2013. We observed a decline in the prevalence of overweight or obesity, from 30.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 29.7% to 31.6%) to 27.0% (95% CI 25.3% to 28.7%) (p < 0.001) and stabilization in the prevalence of obesity at about 13%. These trends persisted after we adjusted for age, sex and race/ethnicity. Although they declined, the median z scores for BMI, weight and height were positive and higher than those in the WHO reference population. The z scores for waist circumference and waist:height ratio were negative, which indicated that the Canadian children had less central adiposity than American children in historic or contemporary NHANES cohorts. Interpretation: After a period of dramatic growth, BMI z scores and the prevalence of overweight or obesity among Canadian children decreased from 2004 to 2013, which attests to progress against this important public health challenge. PMID:27160875

  4. Recent trends in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Canadian children.

    PubMed

    Rodd, Celia; Sharma, Atul K

    2016-09-20

    Previous studies have shown an increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Canadian children from 23.3% to 34.7% during 1978-2004. We examined the most recent trends by applying current definitions of overweight and obesity based on World Health Organization (WHO) body mass index (BMI) thresholds and recently validated norms for waist circumference and waist:height ratio. We examined directly measured height and weight data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (2004-2005) and the Canadian Health Measures Survey (2009-2013). We calculated z scores for BMI, height and weight based on the 2014 WHO growth charts for Canada, including the new extension of weight-for-age beyond 10 years. To calculate z scores for waist circumference and waist:height ratios, we used new charts from the reference population in the US NHANES III (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994). Data were available for 14 014 children aged 3-19 years for the period 2004-2013. We observed a decline in the prevalence of overweight or obesity, from 30.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 29.7% to 31.6%) to 27.0% (95% CI 25.3% to 28.7%) (p < 0.001) and stabilization in the prevalence of obesity at about 13%. These trends persisted after we adjusted for age, sex and race/ethnicity. Although they declined, the median z scores for BMI, weight and height were positive and higher than those in the WHO reference population. The z scores for waist circumference and waist:height ratio were negative, which indicated that the Canadian children had less central adiposity than American children in historic or contemporary NHANES cohorts. After a period of dramatic growth, BMI z scores and the prevalence of overweight or obesity among Canadian children decreased from 2004 to 2013, which attests to progress against this important public health challenge. © 2016 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors.

  5. Steps in the Right Direction, against the Odds, an Evaluation of a Community-Based Programme Aiming to Reduce Inactivity and Improve Health and Morale in Overweight and Obese School-Age Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fraser, Claire; Lewis, Kiara; Manby, Martin

    2012-01-01

    The study describes an evaluation of a 48-week physical activity and nutritional education programme for overweight/obese school-age children using quantitative and qualitative methods. The majority of participants were obese or severely obese when enrolled, and while some improvements in body mass index, self-esteem and engagement in a range of…

  6. Quality of life improves in children and adolescents during a community-based overweight and obesity treatment.

    PubMed

    Mollerup, Pernille M; Nielsen, Tenna R H; Bøjsøe, Christine; Kloppenborg, Julie T; Baker, Jennifer L; Holm, Jens-Christian

    2017-06-01

    The quality of life is compromised in children and adolescents with overweight or obesity. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the quality of life improves during a community-based overweight and obesity treatment, and whether improvements depend on reductions in the degree of obesity. Quality of life was assessed using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) 4.0 in children and adolescents aged 3-18 years with overweight or obesity [body mass index (BMI) ≥85th percentile] upon entry into a community-based chronic care overweight and obesity treatment based upon The Children's Obesity Clinic's Treatment protocol, and upon follow-up after 10-30 months of treatment. Height and weight were measured at each consultation and converted into a BMI standard deviation score (SDS). Upon entry, 477 children (212 boys) completed a PedsQL, and 317 (143 boys) completed another PedsQL after a median of 13 months of treatment. Quality of life improved (p < 0.001), regardless of sex, age, and pubertal development stage upon entry (p ≥ 0.108). Greater reductions in BMI SDS and high socioeconomic status were associated with greater improvements in the quality of life (p ≤ 0.047). However, improvements also occurred in children and adolescents with low socioeconomic status or who increased their BMI SDS (p < 0.001). Improvements in quality of life occurred in children and adolescents during a community-based overweight and obesity treatment, even in children and adolescents who increased their BMI SDS. Thus, improvements may be due to the treatment itself and not exclusively to reductions in BMI SDS. Clinicaltrials.gov, ID-no.: NCT02013843.

  7. Pathophysiology of hypertension in obese children: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Wirix, A J G; Kaspers, P J; Nauta, J; Chinapaw, M J M; Kist-van Holthe, J E

    2015-10-01

    Hypertension is increasingly common in overweight and obese children. The mechanisms behind the development of hypertension in obesity are complex, and evidence is limited. In order to effectively treat obese children for hypertension, it is important to have a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology of hypertension in obese children. The present review summarizes the main factors associated with hypertension in obese children and discusses their potential role in its pathophysiology. Systematic searches were conducted in PubMed and EMBASE for articles published up to October 2014. In total, 60 relevant studies were included. The methodological quality of the included studies ranged from weak to strong. Several factors important in the development of hypertension in obese children have been suggested, including endocrine determinants, such as corticosteroids and adipokines, sympathetic nervous system activity, disturbed sodium homeostasis, as well as oxidative stress, inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Understanding the pathophysiology of hypertension in overweight and obese children is important and could have implications for its screening and treatment. Based on solely cross-sectional observational studies, it is impossible to infer causality. Longitudinal studies of high methodological quality are needed to gain more insight into the complex mechanisms behind the development of hypertension in obese children. © 2015 World Obesity.

  8. Glucose alteration and insulin resistance in asymptomatic obese children and adolescents.

    PubMed

    Assunção, Silvana Neves Ferraz de; Boa Sorte, Ney Christian Amaral; Alves, Crésio de Aragão Dantas; Mendes, Patricia S Almeida; Alves, Carlos Roberto Brites; Silva, Luciana Rodrigues

    Obesity is associated with the abnormal glucose metabolism preceding type 2 diabetes mellitus. Thus, further investigation on the prediction of this lethal outcome must be sought. The objective was the profile glycemic assessment of asymptomatic obese children and adolescents from Salvador, Brazil. A fasting venous blood sample was obtained from 90 consecutive obese individuals aged 8-18 years, of both sexes, for laboratory determinations of glycated hemoglobin, basal insulin, and the Homeostasis Model Assessment Insulin Resistance index. The clinical evaluation included weight, height, waist circumference, assessment of pubertal development, and acanthosis nigricans research. The body mass index/age indicator was used for the severity of overweight assessment. Glycemic alterations were evidenced clinically and biochemically, although these individuals had no complaints or symptoms related to blood sugar levels. Quantitative and qualitative variables were respectively expressed measures of central tendency/dispersion and simple/relative frequency, using the SPSS, version 20.0. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Notably, this study found a high prevalence of glucose and insulin disorders in asymptomatic obese children and adolescents. Copyright © 2017 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  9. Neonatal anthropometrics and body composition in obese children investigated by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.

    PubMed

    Lausten-Thomsen, Ulrik; Nielsen, Tenna Ruest Haarmark; Thagaard, Ida Näslund; Larsen, Torben; Holm, Jens-Christian

    2014-05-01

    Epidemiological and animal studies have suggested an effect of the intrauterine milieu upon the development of childhood obesity. This study investigates the relationship between body composition measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry expressed as body fat percent, body fat mass index (BFMI), and fat free mass index (FFMI) in obese children and the preceding in utero conditions expressed by birth weight, birth length, and birth weight for gestational age. The study cohort consisted of 776 obese Danish children (median age 11.6 years, range 3.6-17.9) with a mean Body Mass Index Standard Deviation Score (BMI SDS) of 2.86 (range 1.64-5.48) treated in our national referral centre. In a linear general regression model adjusted for age, gender, socioeconomic status, and duration of breastfeeding, we found the body fat percent, FFMI, and BFMI at the time of enrolment in childhood obesity treatment to be significantly correlated with both birth weight and birth weight for gestational age. These results indicate a prenatal influence upon childhood obesity. Although there are currently no sufficient data to suggest any recommendations to pregnant women, it is possible that the prenatal period may be considered as a potential window of opportunity for prevention of childhood overweight and obesity.

  10. [Estimated glucose disposal rate in patients under 18 years of age with type 1 diabetes mellitus and overweight or obesity].

    PubMed

    Palomo Atance, Enrique; Ballester Herrera, M José; Giralt Muiña, Patricio; Ruiz Cano, Rafael; León Martín, Alberto; Giralt Muiña, Juan

    2013-01-01

    To assess the estimated glucose disposal rate (eGDR), insulin dose, and lipoprotein profile in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and overweight or obesity as compared to children with T1DM and normal weight. A total of 115 patients (aged 5-16 years) with T1DM on intensive insulin therapy were recruited. The following parameters were measured: weight, height, body mass index, waist and hip circumference, insulin dose, eGDR, glycosylated hemoglobin, blood pressure, and lipoprotein profile. Results were stratified by sex and age. No significant differences were found in eGDR between children with normal weight, overweight, and obesity. However, obese children older than 11 years had lower eGDR values (9.3±1.3 vs 10.1±0.8 mg kg(-1)min(-1); p<0.01). Insulin dose was higher in overweight and obese children, especially in IU/m2/day (37.7 vs 36.1 vs. 29.4 respectively; p<0.01). Obese children had higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels than children with overweight and normal weight (106.5 vs 91.7 vs 91.5mg/dL respectively; p<0.01). No correlation was found between waist circumference and the different markers of insulin resistance. Values of eGDR values were lower in obese children with T1DM older than 11 years, and this may therefore be considered a marker of insulin resistance. Insulin dose was higher in diabetic patients with overweight or obesity, specially in IU/m2/day. Obese children with T1DM had a lipoprotein profile of cardiovascular risk. Copyright © 2012 SEEN. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  11. The obesity prevalence among students between the ages of 5 and 19 in Kutahya.

    PubMed

    Kaya, Mehmet; Sayan, Aylin; Birinci, Mustafa; Yildiz, Mevlüt; Türkmen, Kamil

    2014-01-01

    To determine the prevalence of obesity among students between the ages of 5 and 19 in Kutahya, and to determine the factors associated with obesity prevalence. The population in the survey was formed of students between the ages of 5 and 19 in the schools of Kutahya. Within the scope of this survey, obesity was evaluated in accordance with the percentile values indicated in a study on the body weight and height, head circumference, and body mass index reference values of Turkish children that was published in 2008. It was determined that 6.5% of the students were obese, 7.8% of them were overweight, and 7.8% of them were underweight. When the variables of age, sex, and school district were controlled, it was seen that obesity prevalence among students studying at private schools was 2.03 times higher than among students studying at public schools (P < 0.001). It is seen that, in the efforts to reduce childhood obesity, private schools should be considered as a risk factor and the obesity prevalence at private schools should be analyzed in further studies.

  12. [Morbidity rate of obesity in children in ukraine. Overweight as noncontagious disease risk factor].

    PubMed

    Заболотна, Ірина Е

    The upsurge of prevalence rate of obesity and overweight that in the majority of cases traces back to childhood is a risk factor of the most common noncontagious diseases in adults. The aim was to analyze prevalence of obesity in children in Ukraine and to conduct the pilot study of medical condition of overweight children. Official state statistics of prevalence rate of obesity in kids and screening data of anthropometric characteristics, arterial tension levels, physical performance decrement and medical condition of children (boys - 50, girls - 90, average age - 15,1±0,1 years) was used in research. Data calculation performed by Statistica v. 6.0 software. Over the past few decades, the morbidity rate of obesity in children in Ukraine has greatly increased, especially in year class 15-17. Insufficient diagnosis of obesity in children is the consequence of the inadequacy of the existing system of preventive care and monitoring survey of decease risk factors. Children with body mass index (BMI) above normal have a risk of work decrement in 5,2 times (odds ratio, OR=5,2, CI95%: 1,7-10,6). Such children have higher risk of development of the diseases of the respiratory system (OR=8,1; CI95%: 3,9-13,6) and allergic dermatitis (OR=7,7; CI95%: 3,7-12,9). The odds ratio of arterial hypertension in such children is equal to 3,46±0,3 (95%CI: 2,0-5,9). According to prediction calculations, the situation with the increase of prevalence rate of obesity in children in Ukraine is unfavorable. The introduction of measures aimed at finding children with obesity, their registration and monitoring of patients' health with due regard to decease risk factors at the primary care level would conduce to improving prevention of obesity and prevention of alimentary diseases progression.

  13. Relationship between Selected Serum Metallic Elements and Obesity in Children and Adolescent in the U.S.

    PubMed

    Fan, Yun; Zhang, Chunlan; Bu, Jin

    2017-02-03

    The prevalence of obesity has increased at an alarming rate worldwide. Metallic elements are involved in the pathogenesis of obesity and related diseases. To date, whether environmental exposure to metallic elements has effects on obesity in children and adolescents is still unclear. The aim of the current study was to investigate the association of blood metallic elements with obesity in U.S. children and adolescents. This cross-sectional study was performed with 5404 children and adolescents (6-19 years, 2745 males and 2659 females) who participated in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2014. Blood lead, mercury, selenium, manganese, copper, and zinc, as well as biochemical parameters including triglyceride (TG), cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were assessed for all subjects. Multivariate logistic regression and linear regression were applied to assess associations of metallic elements and overweight, obesity status, and serum metabolites as distinct outcomes adjusted for age, gender, ethnicity, and the poverty income ratio. When stratified by age and sex, significant associations were found between the highest quartile of copper concentrations in blood with obesity status (OR = 9.27, 95% CI: 5.43, 15.82, p for trend < 0.001) and cholesterol (OR = 3.08, 95% CI: 1.43, 6.63, p for trend < 0.001). The highest concentrations of manganese in the blood was associated with obesity in those aged 6-19 years (OR = 2.29, 95% CI: 1.74, 3.02, p for trend < 0.001). Moreover, blood mercury and selenium showed positive relationships with cholesterol. Further, a negative association existed between blood zinc and obesity. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data provide epidemiological evidence that blood metallic elements are positively associated with obesity in children and adolescents. However, the underlying mechanisms still need further exploration.

  14. Oxidant/antioxidant status in obese children compared to pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

    PubMed

    Codoñer-Franch, Pilar; Pons-Morales, Sara; Boix-García, Laura; Valls-Bellés, Victoria

    2010-06-01

    Type 1 diabetes (T1D) mellitus and obesity are recognized risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). A common mechanism underlying an increased risk for endothelial dysfunction in these two metabolic diseases is oxidative stress. To evaluate and compare the oxidant/antioxidant defense systems in children affected with T1D or obesity in order to determine the importance of oxidative stress before the emergence of complications. Children with T1D (n = 20) or obesity (n = 22), without comorbidities, and age- and sex-matched controls (n = 16). We assessed lipid peroxidation by circulating levels of lipoperoxides and malondialdehyde, as well as protein oxidation by the concentration of plasma carbonyl groups. The endogenous antioxidative defense system was evaluated by the red cell glutathione peroxidase and reduced glutathione. The serum levels of alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene were determined to assess exogenous antioxidants. Lipid peroxidation was significantly higher in both T1D and obese children when compared with control children. However, T1D patients showed a more elevated level, because their malondialdehyde values were significantly increased with respect to obese children. Protein oxidation was present in both groups of children and did not differ between them. With respect to obese children, the glutathione peroxidase activity and exogenous antioxidants were decreased in T1D patients. Oxidative stress is present in both children with T1D and obesity, although it is more pronounced in the former. Obese children may suffer an additional oxidative stress in the case of developing impaired glucose metabolism.

  15. Immunogenicity, safety and tolerability of inactivated trivalent influenza vaccine in overweight and obese children.

    PubMed

    Esposito, Susanna; Giavoli, Claudia; Trombetta, Claudia; Bianchini, Sonia; Montinaro, Valentina; Spada, Anna; Montomoli, Emanuele; Principi, Nicola

    2016-01-02

    Obesity may be a risk factor for increased hospitalization and deaths from infections due to respiratory pathogens. Additionally, obese patients appear to have impaired immunity after some vaccinations. To evaluate the immunogenicity, safety and tolerability of an inactivated trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV) in overweight and obese children, 28 overweight/obese pediatric patients and 23 healthy normal weight controls aged 3-14 years received a dose of TIV. Four weeks after vaccine administration, significantly higher seroprotection rates against the A/H1N1 strain were observed among overweight/obese children compared with normal weight controls (p<0.05). Four months after vaccination, similar or slightly higher seroconversion and seroprotection rates against the A/H1N1 and A/H3N2 strains were detected in overweight/obese than in normal weight children, whereas significantly higher rates of seroconversion and seroprotection against the B strain were found in overweight/obese patients than in normal weight controls (p<0.05 for seroconversion and seroprotection). Geometric mean titers (GMTs) and fold increase against B strains were significantly higher in overweight/obese patients than in normal weight controls 4 months after vaccine administration (p<0.01 for GMT values and p<0.05 for fold increase). The frequency of local and systemic reactions was similar between the groups, and there were no serious adverse events. The results of this study indicate that in overweight and obese children, antibody response to TIV administration is similar or slightly higher than that evidenced in normal weight subjects of similar age and this situation persists for at least 4 months after vaccine administration in the presence of a favorable safety profile. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Oxidative stress in obesity and metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents.

    PubMed

    Faienza, Maria Felicia; Francavilla, Ruggiero; Goffredo, Rocco; Ventura, Annamaria; Marzano, Flaviana; Panzarino, Gianvito; Marinelli, Grazia; Cavallo, Luciano; Di Bitonto, Giovanna

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the alterations in the oxidant/antioxidant status in obese children with and without metabolic syndrome (MetS). We recruited 25 Caucasian obese children with MetS, 30 Caucasian children with simple obesity and a control group of 30 Caucasian children. We performed diacron-reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs) test and biological antioxidant potential (BAP) test in order to evaluate the oxidant-antioxidant status in recruited patients. d-ROM level was significantly higher in obese children with and without MetS (p = 0.005). The total antioxidant capacity (BAP level) was reduced in MetS and noMetS children compared to controls (p = 0.009). The subjects without MetS had higher d-ROMs test and lower BAP/d-ROMs ratio than subjects with MetS (although not significant). The ratio BAP/d-ROMs was higher in controls than noMetS and MetS children (p < 0.0001). d-ROM level was higher in prepubertal subjects with MetS than pubertal ones (p = 0.03). A direct correlation was found between d-ROM levels and BMI SDS (p = 0.0005), while an inverse correlation was found between BAP and BMI SDS (p = 0.004) and BAP/d-ROMs and BMI SDS (p = 0.0001). This result confirms that fat accumulation plays a key role in the pathogenesis of systemic oxidative stress already during pediatric age. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  17. Development of Distinct Body Mass Index Trajectories Among Children Before Age 5 Years: A Population-Based Study.

    PubMed

    Lynch, Brian A; Rutten, Lila J Finney; Ebbert, Jon O; Kumar, Seema; Yawn, Barbara P; Jacobson, Debra; Sauver, Jennifer St

    2017-10-01

    The prevalence of childhood obesity has increased over the past 3 decades. This study was designed to understand how childhood body mass index (BMI) influences later risk of obesity. We calculated BMIs for children residing in Olmsted County, Minnesota, between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2012 using medical records data. We defined homogenous BMI trajectory clusters using a nonparametric hill-climbing algorithm. Overall, 16,538 (47%) children had >3 weight assessments at least 1 year apart and were included in the analyses. Within the 8-year follow-up period, children who were younger than 2 years and overweight had a 3- fold increase of obesity (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 3.24; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.69-3.89) and those aged 5 years and overweight had a 10-fold increased risk of obesity (adjusted HR = 9.97, 95% CI = 8.55-11.62). Three distinct BMI trajectories could be distinguished prior to 5 years of age. The risk of developing obesity in those who are overweight increased dramatically with increasing age. Interventions to prevent obesity need to occur prior to school age to prevent children from entering unhealthy BMI trajectories.

  18. Simplified and age-appropriate recommendations for added sugars in children.

    PubMed

    Goran, M I; Riemer, S L; Alderete, T L

    2018-04-01

    Excess sugar intake increases risk for obesity and related comorbidities among children. The World Health Organization (WHO), American Heart Association (AHA) and the 2015 USDA dietary recommendations have proposed guidelines for added sugar intake to reduce risk for disease. WHO and USDA recommendations are presented as a percentage of daily calories from added sugar. This approach is not easily understood or translated to children, where energy needs increase with age. The AHA recommendation is based on a fixed value of 25 g of added sugar for all children 2-19 years of age. This approach does not take into account the different levels of intake across this wide age range. Due to these limitations, we adapted current recommendations for added sugars based on daily energy needs of children 2-19 years. We used those values to derive simple regression equations to predict grams or teaspoons of added sugars per day based on age that would be equivalent to 10% of daily energy needs. This proposed approach aligns with the changing nutritional needs of children and adolescents during growth. © 2017 World Obesity Federation.

  19. Childhood obesity, self-esteem and health-related quality of life among urban primary schools children in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.

    PubMed

    Lee, P Y; Cheah, W l; Chang, C T; Siti Raudzah, G

    2012-08-01

    There is limited data on childhood obesity and its impact on children from diverse cultural backgrounds. This study is aimed at determining the association between obesity, self-esteem and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among Malaysian urban primary school children of different ethnicity. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 311 children aged 11-13 years from primary schools in Kuching, Sarawak. Self-esteem and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) were measured using the Lawrence Self-esteem Questionnaire (LAWSEQ) questionnaire and the Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL), respectively. Body weight and height were taken and body mass index for age calculated. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among the children were 18.2% and 15.2% respectively. Parent-proxy and child self-reported PedsQL scores were higher for normal weight children compared to thin and obese children, but lower than overweight children. At the subscale level, only parent-proxy PedsQL scores in psychosocial health and emotional component were significantly different between overweight and obese children (p=0.019, p=0.02). The Self-esteem score was significantly correlated with parent and child PedsQL scores. Although obesity was associated with lower HRQOL among children, both parent and child PedsQL scores among the overweight group were higher than that for the normal weight group. Overweight and obesity did affect quality of life and self-esteem of children in this study, particularly in the areas of psychosocial and emotional health. Policy makers and programme managers should take into consideration the impact of obesity on children and parents in designing intervention programmes.

  20. Maternal pre-pregnancy obesity and neuropsychological development in pre-school children: a prospective cohort study.

    PubMed

    Casas, Maribel; Forns, Joan; Martínez, David; Guxens, Mònica; Fernandez-Somoano, Ana; Ibarluzea, Jesus; Lertxundi, Nerea; Murcia, Mario; Rebagliato, Marisa; Tardon, Adonina; Sunyer, Jordi; Vrijheid, Martine

    2017-10-01

    BackgroundMaternal pre-pregnancy obesity may impair infant neuropsychological development, but it is unclear whether intrauterine or confounding factors drive this association.MethodsWe assessed whether maternal pre-pregnancy obesity was associated with neuropsychological development in 1,827 Spanish children. At 5 years, cognitive and psychomotor development was assessed using McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms using the Criteria of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and autism spectrum disorder symptoms using the Childhood Asperger Syndrome Test. Models were adjusted for sociodemographic factors and maternal intelligence quotient. We used paternal obesity as negative control exposure as it involves the same source of confounding than maternal obesity.ResultsThe percentage of obese mothers and fathers was 8% and 12%, respectively. In unadjusted models, children of obese mothers had lower scores than children of normal weight mothers in all McCarthy subscales. After adjustment, only the verbal subscale remained statistically significantly reduced (β: -2.8; 95% confidence interval: -5.3, -0.2). No associations were observed among obese fathers. Maternal and paternal obesity were associated with an increase in ADHD-related symptoms. Parental obesity was not associated with autism symptoms.ConclusionMaternal pre-pregnancy obesity was associated with a reduction in offspring verbal scores at pre-school age.

  1. Elevated tumour necrosis factor-alpha was associated with intima thickening in obese children.

    PubMed

    Bo, Luo; Yi-Can, Yang; Qing, Zhou; Xiao-Hui, Wu; Ke, Huang; Chao-Chun, Zou

    2017-04-01

    This study investigated the relationship between intima-media thickness (IMT) and immune parameters in obese children from five to 16 years of age. We enrolled 185 obese children with a mean age of 10.65 ± 2.10 years and 211 controls with a mean age of 10.32 ± 1.81 years. Glycometabolism, lipid metabolism, sex hormones, immune indices and carotid IMT were measured. Serum interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, white blood cells and common and internal carotid artery IMTs in the obese group were higher than those in the control group (p < 0.05, respectively). Bivariate correlation analysis showed that the common carotid arterial IMT was positively correlated with alanine aminotransferase, triglyceride, uric acid, apolipoprotein B, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-alpha, follicle-stimulating hormone and testosterone. Internal carotid artery IMT was positively correlated with alanine aminotransferase and follicle-stimulating hormone. Both common and internal carotid artery IMTs were inversely correlated with apolipoprotein A1 (p < 0.05, respectively). Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that testosterone, alanine aminotransferase and TNF-alpha were the independent determinants of common carotid arterial IMT. Tumour necrosis factor-alpha, alanine aminotransferase and testosterone were associated with intima thickening in the early life in obese children and may increase later risks of premature atherogenicity and adult cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. ©2016 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. Effect of oligofructose supplementation on body weight in overweight and obese children: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Liber, Anna; Szajewska, Hania

    2014-12-28

    Limited evidence suggests that the dietary inclusion of oligofructose, an inulin-type fructan with prebiotic properties, may increase satiety and, thus, reduce energy intake and body weight in overweight and obese adults. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of oligofructose supplementation for 12 weeks on the BMI of overweight and obese children. A total of ninety-seven children aged 7-18 years who were overweight and obese (BMI >85th percentile) were randomly assigned to receive placebo (maltodextrin) or oligofructose (both at an age-dependent dose: 8 g/d for children aged 7-11 years and 15 g/d for children aged 12-18 years) for 12 weeks. Before the intervention, all children received dietetic advice and they were encouraged to engage in physical activity. The primary outcome measure was the BMI-for-age z-score difference between the groups at the end of the intervention. Data from seventy-nine (81%) children were available for analysis. At 12 weeks, the BMI-for-age z-score difference did not differ between the experimental (n 40) and control (n 39) groups (mean difference 0.002, 95% CI - 0.11, 0.1). There were also no significant differences between the groups with regard to any of the secondary outcomes, such as the mean BMI-for-age z-score, percentage of body weight reduction and the difference in total body fat. Adverse effects were similar in both groups. In conclusion, oligofructose supplementation for 12 weeks has no effect on body weight in overweight and obese children.

  3. Ethnic variations in overweight and obesity among children over time: findings from analyses of the Health Surveys for England 1998-2009.

    PubMed

    Karlsen, S; Morris, S; Kinra, S; Vallejo-Torres, L; Viner, R M

    2014-06-01

    The increase in the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents in England since the mid-1990s has been dramatic. Cross-sectional evidence suggests ethnic variations in childhood obesity prevalence. The objective of the study was to examine whether and how ethnic variations in childhood overweight/obesity have changed over time, and are affected by socioeconomic factors. This study uses logistic regression to analyse ethnic differences in the relative likelihood of being at or above the age- and gender-specific thresholds for overweight and obesity developed by the International Obesity Task Force among children aged between 2 and 15 from 11 ethnic groups included in the Health Surveys for England between 1998 and 2009, adjusting for age, gender, year of data collection and equivalized household income. We separately analyse the likelihood of being at or above the thresholds for overweight (but below those for obesity) and obesity. Trends in overweight/obesity over time among ethnic minority groups do not follow those of white English children. Black African children had higher rates of overweight and obesity, which appear to have peaked, and black Caribbean children had higher rates of obesity than other groups examined, which appear to continue rising. These differences were not explained by socioeconomic variations between groups. Policies are required that encourage healthy lifestyles among ethnic minority young people, while engaging with the complexities associated with these choices during childhood and adolescence. © 2013 The Authors. Pediatric Obesity © 2013 International Association for the Study of Obesity.

  4. Complications of obesity in children and adolescents.

    PubMed

    Daniels, S R

    2009-04-01

    The increasing prevalence and severity of obesity in children and adolescents has provided greater emphasis on the wide variety of comorbid conditions and complications that can be experienced as a consequence of obesity. These complications can occur both in the short term and in the long term. Some complications, earlier thought to be long-term issues, which would only occur in adulthood, have now been shown to occur in children and adolescents. These findings have raised concerns about the overall health experience of those who develop obesity early in life and have even raised questions about whether the obesity epidemic might shorten the life span of the current generation of children. In this paper, I will examine current knowledge regarding the different organ systems that may be impacted by childhood obesity.

  5. Screening for Obesity in Children and Adolescents: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.

    PubMed

    Grossman, David C; Bibbins-Domingo, Kirsten; Curry, Susan J; Barry, Michael J; Davidson, Karina W; Doubeni, Chyke A; Epling, John W; Kemper, Alex R; Krist, Alex H; Kurth, Ann E; Landefeld, C Seth; Mangione, Carol M; Phipps, Maureen G; Silverstein, Michael; Simon, Melissa A; Tseng, Chien-Wen

    2017-06-20

    Based on year 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts, approximately 17% of children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years in the United States have obesity, and almost 32% of children and adolescents are overweight or have obesity. Obesity in children and adolescents is associated with morbidity such as mental health and psychological issues, asthma, obstructive sleep apnea, orthopedic problems, and adverse cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes (eg, high blood pressure, abnormal lipid levels, and insulin resistance). Children and adolescents may also experience teasing and bullying behaviors based on their weight. Obesity in childhood and adolescence may continue into adulthood and lead to adverse cardiovascular outcomes or other obesity-related morbidity, such as type 2 diabetes. Although the overall rate of child and adolescent obesity has stabilized over the last decade after increasing steadily for 3 decades, obesity rates continue to increase in certain populations, such as African American girls and Hispanic boys. These racial/ethnic differences in obesity prevalence are likely a result of both genetic and nongenetic factors (eg, socioeconomic status, intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and fast food, and having a television in the bedroom). To update the 2010 US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation on screening for obesity in children 6 years and older. The USPSTF reviewed the evidence on screening for obesity in children and adolescents and the benefits and harms of weight management interventions. Comprehensive, intensive behavioral interventions (≥26 contact hours) in children and adolescents 6 years and older who have obesity can result in improvements in weight status for up to 12 months; there is inadequate evidence regarding the effectiveness of less intensive interventions. The harms of behavioral interventions can be bounded as small to none, and the harms of screening are minimal. Therefore, the USPSTF

  6. Whole-Body and Hepatic Insulin Resistance in Obese Children

    PubMed Central

    Ibarra-Reynoso, Lorena del Rocío; Pisarchyk, Liudmila; Pérez-Luque, Elva Leticia; Garay-Sevilla, Ma. Eugenia; Malacara, Juan Manuel

    2014-01-01

    Background Insulin resistance may be assessed as whole body or hepatic. Objective To study factors associated with both types of insulin resistance. Methods Cross-sectional study of 182 obese children. Somatometric measurements were registered, and the following three adiposity indexes were compared: BMI, waist-to-height ratio and visceral adiposity. Whole-body insulin resistance was evaluated using HOMA-IR, with 2.5 as the cut-off point. Hepatic insulin resistance was considered for IGFBP-1 level quartiles 1 to 3 (<6.67 ng/ml). We determined metabolite and hormone levels and performed a liver ultrasound. Results The majority, 73.1%, of obese children had whole-body insulin resistance and hepatic insulin resistance, while 7% did not have either type. HOMA-IR was negatively associated with IGFBP-1 and positively associated with BMI, triglycerides, leptin and mother's BMI. Girls had increased HOMA-IR. IGFBP-1 was negatively associated with waist-to-height ratio, age, leptin, HOMA-IR and IGF-I. We did not find HOMA-IR or IGFBP-1 associated with fatty liver. Conclusion In school-aged children, BMI is the best metric to predict whole-body insulin resistance, and waist-to-height ratio is the best predictor of hepatic insulin resistance, indicating that central obesity is important for hepatic insulin resistance. The reciprocal negative association of IGFBP-1 and HOMA-IR may represent a strong interaction of the physiological processes of both whole-body and hepatic insulin resistance. PMID:25411786

  7. The relationship between erythrocyte membrane fatty acid levels and cardiac autonomic function in obese children.

    PubMed

    Mustafa, Gulgun; Kursat, Fidanci Muzaffer; Ahmet, Tas; Alparslan, Genc Fatih; Omer, Gunes; Sertoglu, Erdem; Erkan, Sarı; Ediz, Yesilkaya; Turker, Turker; Ayhan, Kılıc

    Childhood obesity is a worldwide health concern. Studies have shown autonomic dysfunction in obese children. The exact mechanism of this dysfunction is still unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between erythrocyte membrane fatty acid (EMFA) levels and cardiac autonomic function in obese children using heart rate variability (HRV). A total of 48 obese and 32 healthy children were included in this case-control study. Anthropometric and biochemical data, HRV indices, and EMFA levels in both groups were compared statistically. HRV parameters including standard deviation of normal-to-normal R-R intervals (NN), root mean square of successive differences, the number of pairs of successive NNs that differ by >50 ms (NN50), the proportion of NN50 divided by the total number of NNs, high-frequency power, and low-frequency power were lower in obese children compared to controls, implying parasympathetic impairment. Eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid levels were lower in the obese group (p<0.001 and p=0.012, respectively). In correlation analysis, in the obese group, body mass index standard deviation and linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein levels showed a linear correlation with one or more HRV parameter, and age, eicosapentaenoic acid, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure correlated with mean heart rate. In linear regression analysis, age, dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid, linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, body mass index standard deviation, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein were related to HRV parameters, implying an effect on cardiac autonomic function. There is impairment of cardiac autonomic function in obese children. It appears that levels of EMFAs such as linoleic acid, arachidonic acid and dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid play a role in the regulation of cardiac autonomic function in obese children. Copyright © 2017 Sociedade Portuguesa

  8. Overweight, obesity, high blood pressure and lifestyle factors among Mexican children and their parents

    PubMed Central

    Vergara-Castañeda, Arely; Colín-Ramírez, Eloisa; Orea-Tejeda, Arturo

    2010-01-01

    Objective The objective of this study was to identify associations in the prevalence of overweight, obesity and high blood pressure between children and their parents, as well as their eating and physical patterns. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we obtained data on 83 pairs of school-aged children and one of their parents relating to dietary habits and various physical parameters, including the body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure of the children, which were adjusted by age and gender. Both the children and the parents were asked to complete a questionnaire aimed at providing measures of eating behavior. The questions focused on the consumption of fruit and vegetables and soda drinks as well as on physical activity patterns. Parent BMI was calculated from self-reported height and weight values. Results Obesity was diagnosed in 10.8% of the children, and the prevalence of overweight was 28.9%. There was a relationship between a child’s weight status and that of his/her parent according to the BMI; 45% of overweight/obese children had overweight/obese parents. In addition, a parent’s fruit and vegetable consumption was associated with his/her child’s fruit and vegetable consumption (r = 0.47, p < 0.001), and both were associated with soda drink consumption in both parents and children (r = 0.30, p < 0.001). Conclusion Our results confirmed that there is a relationship between the weight status, fruit and vegetable consumption and soda drink intake of children and those of their parents. PMID:21432567

  9. Overweight, obesity, high blood pressure and lifestyle factors among Mexican children and their parents.

    PubMed

    Vergara-Castañeda, Arely; Castillo-Martínez, Lilia; Colín-Ramírez, Eloisa; Orea-Tejeda, Arturo

    2010-11-01

    The objective of this study was to identify associations in the prevalence of overweight, obesity and high blood pressure between children and their parents, as well as their eating and physical patterns. In this cross-sectional study, we obtained data on 83 pairs of school-aged children and one of their parents relating to dietary habits and various physical parameters, including the body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure of the children, which were adjusted by age and gender. Both the children and the parents were asked to complete a questionnaire aimed at providing measures of eating behavior. The questions focused on the consumption of fruit and vegetables and soda drinks as well as on physical activity patterns. Parent BMI was calculated from self-reported height and weight values. Obesity was diagnosed in 10.8% of the children, and the prevalence of overweight was 28.9%. There was a relationship between a child's weight status and that of his/her parent according to the BMI; 45% of overweight/obese children had overweight/obese parents. In addition, a parent's fruit and vegetable consumption was associated with his/her child's fruit and vegetable consumption (r = 0.47, p < 0.001), and both were associated with soda drink consumption in both parents and children (r = 0.30, p < 0.001). Our results confirmed that there is a relationship between the weight status, fruit and vegetable consumption and soda drink intake of children and those of their parents.

  10. Intellectual disability is associated with increased risk for obesity in a nationally representative sample of U.S. children.

    PubMed

    Segal, Mary; Eliasziw, Misha; Phillips, Sarah; Bandini, Linda; Curtin, Carol; Kral, Tanja V E; Sherwood, Nancy E; Sikich, Lin; Stanish, Heidi; Must, Aviva

    2016-07-01

    Data on obesity prevalence in children with intellectual disability (ID) are scarce. We estimated rates of obesity among children aged 10-17 years with and without ID in a nationally representative dataset that included measures of child weight and ID status, as well as family meal frequency, physical activity, and sedentary behavior. Chi-square tests compared prevalence of obesity, demographic and behavioral characteristics between children with and without ID as reported in the 2011 National Survey of Children's Health. Tests for interaction in logistic regression models determined whether associations between obesity and behavioral characteristics were different between children with/without ID. Obesity prevalence for children with ID was 28.9% and 15.5% for children without ID. After adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity and poverty level, the odds ratio was significantly 1.89 times greater among children with ID than among those without ID (95% CI: 1.14 to 3.12). Among children with ID, 49.8% ate at least one meal with family members every day compared to 35.0% without ID (p < 0.002), and 49.5% with ID participated in frequent physical activity compared to 62.9% (p < 0.005). Prevalence of obesity was higher among all children who ate family meals every day compared to fewer days per week, and the effect was significantly more pronounced among those with ID (p = 0.05). Prevalence of obesity among youth with ID was almost double that of the general population. Prospective studies are needed in this population to examine the impact of consistent family mealtimes and infrequent physical activity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Association between obesity and ECG variables in children and adolescents: A cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Sun, Guo-Zhe; Li, Yang; Zhou, Xing-Hu; Guo, Xiao-Fan; Zhang, Xin-Gang; Zheng, Li-Qiang; Li, Yuan; Jiao, Yun-DI; Sun, Ying-Xian

    2013-12-01

    Obesity exhibits a wide variety of electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities in adults, which often lead to cardiovascular events. However, there is currently no evidence of an association between obesity and ECG variables in children and adolescents. The present study aimed to explore the associations between obesity and ECG intervals and axes in children and adolescents. A cross-sectional observational study of 5,556 students aged 5-18 years was performed. Anthropometric data, blood pressure and standard 12-lead ECGs were collected for each participant. ECG variables were measured manually based on the temporal alignment of simultaneous 12 leads using a CV200 ECG Work Station. Overweight and obese groups demonstrated significantly longer PR intervals, wider QRS durations and leftward shifts of frontal P-wave, QRS and T-wave axes, while the obese group also demonstrated significantly higher heart rates, compared with normal weight groups within normotensive or hypertensive subjects (P<0.05). Abdominal obesity was also associated with longer PR intervals, wider QRS duration and a leftward shift of frontal ECG axes compared with normal waist circumference (WC) within normotensive or hypertensive subjects (P<0.05). Gender was a possible factor affecting the ECG variables. Furthermore, the ECG variables, including PR interval, QRS duration and frontal P-wave, QRS and T-wave axes, were significantly linearly correlated with body mass index, WC and waist-to-height ratio adjusted for age, gender, ethnicity and blood pressure. However, there was no significant association between obesity and the corrected QT interval (P>0.05). The results of the current study indicate that in children and adolescents, general and abdominal obesity is associated with longer PR intervals, wider QRS duration and a leftward shift of frontal P-wave, QRS and T-wave axes, independent of age, gender, ethnicity and blood pressure.

  12. Relationships between 24-hour urinary free cortisol concentrations and metabolic syndrome in obese children.

    PubMed

    Reinehr, Thomas; Kulle, Alexandra; Wolters, Barbara; Knop, Caroline; Lass, Nina; Welzel, Maik; Holterhus, Paul-Martin

    2014-07-01

    Clinical features of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) and Cushing's Syndrome are similar, suggesting a pathogenetic role of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis in MetS. The aim of the study was to determine whether MetS diagnosis and specific clusters of MetS components (waist circumference, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and impaired glucose metabolism) are associated with serum cortisol (SC) or 24-h urinary free cortisol (UFC) levels. We conducted cross-sectional analyses of data from our obesity cohort. We studied 264 obese children (age, 11.0 ± 2.8 years; male, 48%; BMI, 28.2 ± 5.4 kg/m(2)). We examined UFC, SC, homeostasis model assessment (HOMA), and features of MetS (waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting lipids, and glucose). Slightly increased UFC concentrations were measured in 30.7% of the children. Obese children with MetS had significantly (P = .003) higher UFC levels compared with obese children without MetS. Girls demonstrated significantly higher UFC concentrations compared with boys independent of pubertal stage. UFC and SC levels were significantly related to features of MetS, but the associations were stronger for UFC. In multivariate analyses adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index, none of the features of MetS but HOMA index was correlated with UFC, whereas SC demonstrated no significant association to any parameter of MetS or HOMA. Our findings support the hypothesis that changes in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis are related to MetS in obesity. UFC seems to be a suitable marker for this relationship. Norm values for UFC adapted to obese children may help to avoid unnecessary dexamethasone suppression tests.

  13. Prevalence of overweight, obesity and thinness in 9-10 year old children in Mauritius.

    PubMed

    Caleyachetty, Rishi; Rudnicka, Alicja R; Echouffo-Tcheugui, Justin B; Siegel, Karen R; Richards, Nigel; Whincup, Peter H

    2012-07-23

    To document the prevalence of overweight, obesity and thinness in 9-10 year old children in Mauritius. 412 boys and 429 girls aged 9-10 years from 23 primary schools were selected using stratified cluster random sampling. All data was cross-sectional and collected via anthropometry and self-administered questionnaire. Outcome measures were BMI (kg/m2), prevalence of overweight, obesity (International Obesity Task Force definitions) and thinness (low BMI for age). Linear and logistic regression analyses, accounting for clustering at the school level, were used to assess associations between gender, ethnicity, school location, and school's academic performance (average) to each outcome measure. The distribution of BMI was marginally skewed with a more pronounced positive tail in the girls. Median BMI was 15.6 kg/m2 in boys and 15.4 kg/m2 in girls, respectively. In boys, prevalence of overweight was 15.8% (95% CI: 12.6, 19.6), prevalence of obesity 4.9% (95% CI: 3.2, 7.4) and prevalence of thinness 12.4% (95% CI: 9.5, 15.9). Among girls, 18.9% (95% CI: 15.5, 22.9) were overweight, 5.1% (95% CI: 3.4, 7.7) were obese and 13.1% (95% CI: 10.2, 16.6) were thin. Urban children had a slightly higher mean BMI than rural children (0.5 kg/m2, 95% CI: 0.01, 1.00) and were nearly twice as likely to be obese (6.7% vs. 4.0%; adjusted odds ratio 1.6; 95% CI: 0.9, 3.5). Creole children were less likely to be classified as thin compared to Indian children (adjusted odds ratio 0.3, 95% CI: 0.2, 0.6). Mauritius is currently in the midst of nutritional transition with both a high prevalence of overweight and thinness in children aged 9-10 years. The coexistence of children representing opposite sides of the energy balance equation presents a unique challenge for policy and interventions. Further exploration is needed to understand the specific causes of the double burden of malnutrition and to make appropriate policy recommendations.

  14. School sociodemographic characteristics and obesity in schoolchildren: does the obesity definition matter?

    PubMed

    Bel-Serrat, Silvia; Heinen, Mirjam M; Mehegan, John; O'Brien, Sarah; Eldin, Nazih; Murrin, Celine M; Kelleher, Cecily C

    2018-03-09

    Existing evidence on the role of sociodemographic variables as risk factors for overweight and obesity in school-aged children is inconsistent. Furthermore, findings seem to be influenced by the obesity definition applied. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate if school sociodemographic indicators were associated with weight status in Irish primary schoolchildren and whether this association was sensitive to different obesity classification systems. A nationally representative cross-sectional sample of 7542 Irish children (53.9% girls), mean age 10.4 (±1.2SD) years, participating in the Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative in the 2010, 2012/2013 or 2015/2016 waves were included. Height, weight and waist circumference were objectively measured. Five definitions of obesity were employed using different approaches for either body mass index (BMI) or abdominal obesity. Associations between overweight and obesity and sociodemographic variables were investigated using adjusted multilevel logistic regression analyses. Children attending disadvantaged schools were more likely to be overweight and obese than their peers attending non-disadvantaged schools, regardless of the obesity classification system used. Associations remained significant for the BMI-based obesity definitions when the sample was stratified by sex and age group, except for boys aged 8-10.5 years. Only boys aged ≥10.5 years in disadvantaged schools had higher odds of abdominal obesity (UK 1990 waist circumference growth charts: OR = 1.56, 95%CI = 1.09-2.24; waist-to-height ratio: OR = 1.78, 95%CI = 1.14-2.79) than those in non-disadvantaged schools. No associations were observed for school urbanisation level. School socioeconomic status was a strong determinant of overweight and obesity in Irish schoolchildren, and these associations were age- and sex-dependent. School location was not associated with overweight or obesity. There remains a need to intervene with school-aged

  15. BMI changes in children and adolescents attending a specialized childhood obesity center: a cohort study.

    PubMed

    Maggio, Albane B R; Saunders Gasser, Catherine; Gal-Duding, Claudine; Beghetti, Maurice; Martin, Xavier E; Farpour-Lambert, Nathalie J; Chamay-Weber, Catherine

    2013-12-26

    Multidisciplinary group therapies for obese children and adolescents are effective but difficult to implement. There is a crucial need to evaluate simpler management programs that target the obese child and his family. This study aimed to determine changes in body mass indexes (BMI) after individual family-based obesity intervention with a pediatrician in a specialized obesity center for child and adolescent. This cohort study included 283 patients (3.3 to 17.1 years, mean 10.7 ± 2.9) attending the Pediatric Obesity Care Program of the Geneva University Hospitals. Medical history and development of anthropometric were assessed in consultations. Pediatricians used an integrative approach that included cognitive behavioral techniques (psycho-education, behavioral awareness, behavioral changes by small objectives and stimulus control) and motivational interviewing. Forty five children were also addressed to a psychologist. Mean follow-up duration was 11.4 ± 9.8 months. The decrease in BMI z-score (mean: -0.18 ± 0.40; p < .001) was significant for 49.5% of them. It was dependent of age, BMI at baseline (better in youngest and higher BMI) and the total number of visits (p = .025). Additional psychological intervention was associated with reduced BMI z-score in children aged 8 to 11 years (p = .048). Individual family obesity intervention induces a significant weight reduction in half of the children and adolescents, especially in the youngest and severely obese. This study emphasizes the need to encourage trained pediatricians to provide individual follow up to these children and their family. Our study also confirms the beneficial effect of a psychological intervention in selected cases.

  16. Childhood obesity: the extent of the problem among 6-year-old Irish national school children.

    PubMed

    Evans, D S; Glacken, M; Goggin, D

    2011-05-01

    Childhood obesity is rapidly increasing worldwide. In Ireland, the number of overweight children has trebled over the last decade. The study aimed to provide an assessment of the prevalence of obesity of 6-year-old children in one region of Ireland. Following training, School Public Health Nurses included the measurement of height and weight as part of the annual 'senior infants' school health check for 5453 6-year-old children in 189 schools between 2004 and 2007. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated using the International Obesity Taskforce cut-off points using lmsGrowth (a Microsoft Excel add-in), which uses a child's exact age. Kendall's Tau b was used to determine the reliability of measurements. Prevalence trends were tested using multinomial logistic regression. Pearson's chi-squared test was utilized to assess the statistical significance of differences in BMI by gender, school year, and to compare with similar other Irish studies. Out of the 5453 children measured, 3493 were aged 6 years old. A further 11 were excluded because of incomplete data. Data were analysed for 3482 6-year-old children. Overall, 27% of 6-year-olds were classified as either overweight or obese. A significantly greater proportion of girls are overweight or obese compared with boys (31% compared with 23%). Gender differences have remained relatively stable from 2004-2007. Overall, there have been no significant changes in the level of obesity from 2004-2007. In addition, when comparing with other Irish studies that collected data for 2001/2, there are no significant differences in obesity levels. There is a clear need to urgently prioritize the effective management of obesity. Resourses should now be targeted towards ensuring government policies in Ireland and elsewhere are implemented. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  17. The effects of the Lactobacillus casei strain on obesity in children: a pilot study.

    PubMed

    Nagata, S; Chiba, Y; Wang, C; Yamashiro, Y

    2017-08-24

    There are few data regarding the role of probiotics as a dietary intervention in the management of obesity in children. An open prospective examination was conducted to clarify the effects of Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota (LcS)-containing beverages in obese children. We compared the intestinal microbiota and organic acid levels between 12 obese (average age, 10.8 years; body mass index (BMI) Z score, 2.7±1.7) and 22 control children(average age, 8.5 years; BMI Z score, 0.1±0.7), and pre- and post-intervention in the obese children. The obese group underwent diet and exercise therapy for 6 months and then were given an LcS beverage daily for another 6 months and the body weight and serological markers were monitored. Significant reductions in the faecal concentrations of Bifidobacterium (obese group, 7.9±1.5 vs non-obese group, 9.8±0.5 Log 10 cells/g; P<0.01) along with a significant decline in the Bacteroides fragilis group, Atopobium cluster and Lactobacillus gasseri subgroup, and acetic acid (obese group, 45.1±16.9 vs non-obese group, 57.9±17.6 μmol/g; P<0.05) were observed in the obese group at baseline. A significant decline in body weight (-2.9±4.6%; P<0.05) and an elevation in the high density lipoprotein cholesterol level (+11.1±17.6%; P<0.05) were observed 6 months after ingestion of the LcS beverage compared to baseline. Furthermore, a significant increase in the faecal concentration of Bifidobacterium (7.0±1.2 before ingestion vs 9.1±1.2 Log 10 cells/g after ingestion; P<0.01) and an apparent increase in the acetic acid concentration (7.0±1.2 before ingestion vs 9.1±1.2 Log 10 cells/g after ingestion; P<0.01) were observed 6 months after ingestion. LcS contributed to weight loss while also improving the lipid metabolism in obese children via a significant increase in the faecal Bifidobacterium numbers and the acetic acid concentration.

  18. Central adiposity is negatively associated with hippocampal-dependent relational memory among overweight and obese children.

    PubMed

    Khan, Naiman A; Baym, Carol L; Monti, Jim M; Raine, Lauren B; Drollette, Eric S; Scudder, Mark R; Moore, R Davis; Kramer, Arthur F; Hillman, Charles H; Cohen, Neal J

    2015-02-01

    To assess associations between adiposity and hippocampal-dependent and hippocampal-independent memory forms among prepubertal children. Prepubertal children (age 7-9 years; n = 126), classified as non-overweight (<85th percentile body mass index [BMI]-for-age [n = 73]) or overweight/obese (≥85th percentile BMI-for-age [n = 53]), completed relational (hippocampal-dependent) and item (hippocampal-independent) memory tasks. Performance was assessed with both direct (behavioral accuracy) and indirect (preferential disproportionate viewing [PDV]) measures. Adiposity (ie, percent whole-body fat mass, subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue, visceral adipose tissue, and total abdominal adipose tissue) was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Backward regression identified significant (P < .05) predictive models of memory performance. Covariates included age, sex, pubertal timing, socioeconomic status (SES), IQ, oxygen consumption, and BMI z-score. Among overweight/obese children, total abdominal adipose tissue was a significant negative predictor of relational memory behavioral accuracy, and pubertal timing together with SES jointly predicted the PDV measure of relational memory. In contrast, among non-overweight children, male sex predicted item memory behavioral accuracy, and a model consisting of SES and BMI z-score jointly predicted the PDV measure of relational memory. Regional, but not whole-body, fat deposition was selectively and negatively associated with hippocampal-dependent relational memory among overweight/obese prepubertal children. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Health-related parental indicators and their association with healthy weight and overweight/obese children's physical activity.

    PubMed

    Sigmund, E; Sigmundová, D; Badura, P; Madarasová Gecková, A

    2018-05-31

    Although it is accepted that parents play a key role in forming children's health behaviours, differences in parent-child physical activity (PA) have not previously been analysed simultaneously in random samples of families with non-overweight and overweight to obese preschool and school-aged children. This study answers the question which of the health-related parental indicators (daily step count (SC), screen time (ST), and weight status and participation in organized leisure-time PA) help their children achieve the step count recommendations. A nationally representative sample comprising 834 families including 1564 parent-child dyads who wore the Yamax Digiwalker SW-200 pedometer for at least 8 h a day on at least four weekdays and both weekend days and completed a family log book (anthropometric parameters, SC, and ST). Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate whether parental achievement of the daily SC recommendation (10,000 SC/day), non-excessive ST (< 2 h/day), weight status, and active participation in organized PA were associated with children's achievement of their daily SC (11,500 SC/day for pre-schoolers and 13,000/11,000 SC/day for school-aged boys/girls). While living in a family with non-overweight parents helps children achieve the daily SC recommendation (mothers in the model: OR = 3.50, 95% CI = 2.29-5.34, p < 0.001; fathers in the model: OR = 2.41, 95% CI = 1.37-4.26, p < 0.01) regardless of their age category, gender, or ST, for families with overweight/obese children, only the mother's achievement of the SC recommendations and non-excessive ST significantly (p < 0.05) increase the odds of their children reaching the daily SC recommendation. The active participation of children in organized leisure-time PA increases the odds of all children achieving the daily SC recommendations (OR = 1.80-2.85); however, for overweight/obese children this remains non-significant. The participation of parents in

  20. Trends in a life threatening condition: morbid obesity in dutch, Turkish and Moroccan children in The Netherlands.

    PubMed

    van Dommelen, Paula; Schönbeck, Yvonne; van Buuren, Stef; HiraSing, Remy A

    2014-01-01

    Morbid obesity can be a life threatening condition. The aim of our study is to assess the trend in morbid obesity in The Netherlands among children of Dutch origin since 1980, and among children of Turkish and Moroccan origin since 1997. Cross-sectional height and weight data of children of Dutch, Turkish and Moroccan origin aged 2-18 years were selected from three national Dutch Growth Studies performed in 1980, 1997 and 2009 (n = 54,814). Extended international (IOTF) cut-offs in childhood were used to define morbid obesity (obesity class II and III combined). The morbidity index for overweight was calculated as the prevalence of morbid obesity divided by the prevalence of overweight. Our study showed that the prevalence of morbid obesity in children of Dutch origin was 0.59% in boys and 0.53% in girls in 2009. Significant upward trends occurred since 1980 and 1997. The prevalence was three to four fold higher in Turkish children compared to Dutch children. The Turkish children also had an upward trend since 1997, but this was only statistically significant in boys. The prevalence of morbid obesity in Moroccan children was two to three fold higher than in Dutch children, but it remained almost stable between 1997 and 2009. The Dutch and Turkish children showed an upward trend in morbidity index for overweight since respectively 1980 and 1997, while the Moroccan children showed a downward trend since 1997. In 2009, children of low educated parents had the highest prevalence rates of morbid obesity; 1.06% in Dutch, 2.11% in Turkish and 1.41% in Moroccan children. An upward trend of morbid obesity in Dutch and Turkish children in The Netherlands occurred. Monitoring and reducing the prevalence of childhood morbid obesity is of high importance for these children, health care and the community.

  1. Socio-demographic and behavioral risk factors associated with the high prevalence of overweight and obesity in Portuguese children.

    PubMed

    Bingham, Daniel D; Varela-Silva, Maria I; Ferrão, Maria M; Augusta, Gama; Mourão, Maria I; Nogueira, Helena; Marques, Vitor R; Padez, Cristina

    2013-01-01

    Childhood obesity is a public health concern in Portugal. Socio-demographic and behavioral factors are highly associated with obesity but are not clearly understood. This article aims to update the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Portuguese children and to explore the influence and risks of socio-demographic factors and behavioral factors. A cross-sectional study of Portuguese children aged 3-10 years from all 18 mainland districts took place between March 2009 and January 2010. The sample was composed by 17,136 children, 3-10 years of age (8,455 boys; 8,681 girls). Height, weight, and other anthropometric measurements were obtained by trained technicians. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated along with other anthropometric variables. Data analyses took place between April and September 2012. The overweight/obesity classification was established by age-and sex-specific BMI cut-off points as defined by the International obesity task force (IOTF). Parents completed questionnaires about socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics of the family. Almost 28% of the Portuguese children were overweight or obese (19.7% overweight; 8.2% obese). Prevalence was greater in girls than in boys. Logistic regression models found that the odds of childhood obesity were significantly affected by biological, socio-demographic, and behavioral factors. The protective factors against childhood overweight/obesity in this sample of Portuguese children are: (i) being male; (ii) having been breastfeed; (iii) having been born from mothers who did not smoke during pregnancy; (iv) engaging in little sedentary behaviors (TV, PC, and playing electronic games); (iv) performing at least 1 h of moderate physical activity every day; and (v) having parents with higher educational levels who also have their BMI within the healthy ranges. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. Mid-upper arm circumference as a screening tool for identifying children with obesity: a 12-country study.

    PubMed

    Chaput, J-P; Katzmarzyk, P T; Barnes, J D; Fogelholm, M; Hu, G; Kuriyan, R; Kurpad, A; Lambert, E V; Maher, C; Maia, J; Matsudo, V; Olds, T; Onywera, V; Sarmiento, O L; Standage, M; Tudor-Locke, C; Zhao, P; Tremblay, M S

    2017-12-01

    No studies have examined if mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) can be an alternative screening tool for obesity in an international sample of children differing widely in levels of human development. Our aim is to determine whether MUAC could be used to identify obesity in children from 12 countries in five major geographic regions of the world. This observational, multinational cross-sectional study included 7337 children aged 9-11 years. Anthropometric measurements were objectively assessed, and obesity was defined according to the World Health Organization reference data. In the total sample, MUAC was strongly correlated with adiposity indicators in both boys and girls (r > 0.86, p < 0.001). The accuracy level of MUAC for identifying obesity was high in both sexes and across study sites (overall area under the curve of 0.97, sensitivity of 95% and specificity of 90%). The MUAC cut-off value to identify obesity was ~25 cm for both boys and girls. In country-specific analyses, the cut-off value to identify obesity ranged from 23.2 cm (boys in South Africa) to 26.2 cm (girls in the UK). Results from this 12-country study suggest that MUAC is a simple and accurate measurement that may be used to identify obesity in children aged 9-11 years. MUAC may be a promising screening tool for obesity in resource-limited settings. © 2016 World Obesity Federation.

  3. Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Italian Children with Down Syndrome: Prevalence and Correlation with Obesity-Related Features.

    PubMed

    Valentini, Diletta; Alisi, Anna; di Camillo, Chiara; Sartorelli, Maria Rita; Crudele, Annalisa; Bartuli, Andrea; Nobili, Valerio; Villani, Alberto

    2017-10-01

    To assess the prevalence of overweight/obesity in a cohort of Italian children with Down syndrome (DS) and to investigate the correlation of both obesity and DS with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We enrolled 280 children with DS (age range 5-18 years), who were referred to the DS outpatient clinic of the Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital in Rome. For all children, we collected the clinical history and measured anthropometric variables. Eighty-four of 280 children with DS were selected to undergo liver ultrasound scanning to evaluate the presence of NAFLD. Italian children with DS exhibited a prevalence of 19.64% for overweight and 12.14% for obesity. The prevalence of NAFLD in nonobese (45%) and overweight/obese (82%) children with DS is greater than in the European pediatric nonobese (5.7%) or obese population (33%). Moreover, the severity of liver brightness on ultrasound scan correlated positively with body mass index, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and leptin levels and negatively with adiponectin. We demonstrated that, independently from the obese phenotype, children with DS display a greater risk to develop NAFLD than the general pediatric population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Socio-Economic and Environmental Factors Associated with Overweight and Obesity in Children Aged 6-8 Years Living in Five Italian Cities (the MAPEC_LIFE Cohort).

    PubMed

    Grassi, Tiziana; De Donno, Antonella; Bagordo, Francesco; Serio, Francesca; Piscitelli, Prisco; Ceretti, Elisabetta; Zani, Claudia; Viola, Gaia C V; Villarini, Milena; Moretti, Massimo; Levorato, Sara; Carducci, Annalaura; Verani, Marco; Donzelli, Gabriele; Bonetta, Sara; Bonetta, Silvia; Carraro, Elisabetta; Bonizzoni, Silvia; Bonetti, Alberto; Gelatti, Umberto

    2016-10-11

    The prevalence of obesity among Italian children has reached such alarming levels as to require detailed studies of the causes of the phenomenon. A cross-sectional study was carried out in order to assess the weight status of 1164 Italian children aged 6-8 years (the Monitoring Air Pollution Effects on Children for Supporting Public Health Policy (MAPEC_LIFE) cohort) and to identify any associations between selected socio-economic and environmental factors and overweight/obesity. The data were obtained by means of a questionnaire given to parents, and any associations were examined by binomial logistic regression analyses. Overweight was found to be positively associated with male gender, parents of non-Italian origin, and parents who smoke, and negatively associated with the parents' level of education and employment. In addition, the frequency of overweight varied in relation to the geographical area of residence, with a greater prevalence of overweight children in the cities of central-southern Italy. This study highlights the need to implement appropriate obesity prevention programs in Italy, which should include educational measures concerning lifestyle for parents from the earliest stages of their child's life.

  5. Understanding school-age obesity: through participatory action research.

    PubMed

    DiNapoli, Pamela P; Lewis, James B

    2008-01-01

    This study aimed to assess current levels of overweight (obesity) and fitness among school students using objective data. School-based action research teams were recruited statewide by the New Hampshire Healthy Schools Coalition, the state team of the National Action for Healthy Kids Coalition. Action teams consisted of a physical education teacher, a school nurse, and a school administrator. Data were collected from 6,511 student participants aged 6 to 14 years, which was a representative cross-section from New Hampshire school districts. Key variables of interest in the study were body mass index, and ability to pass five fitness tests using FITNESSGRAM. Pearson's correlation was used to assess the relationships among body mass index, age, gender, and the percent of students that passed FITNESSGRAM tests. The ability of participants to pass the FITNESSGRAM tests declined markedly with age and differed between boys and girls, although the healthy fitness zones for any particular test was lower for girls. Body mass index was significantly negatively correlated with performance on all tests. Age was also statistically negatively correlated with performance on all tests; the relationship between gender and performance on the tests was less striking. Results reflected an increase in the prevalence of overweight school children, even in New Hampshire, which is purported to be one of the healthiest states in the nation. Results offered evidence that body mass index is a valid proxy measure for fitness levels and that fitness programs are necessary to effectively combat the obesity epidemic. Evidence-based changes need to be implemented to address obesity-related factors in schools, because children spend many of their waking hours in that setting. Physical activity during recess and physical education classes could help to increase energy expenditure and develop sound minds and bodies. Schools should consider the development of school-based wellness teams to advise and

  6. Self discipline and obesity in Bangkok school children.

    PubMed

    Sirikulchayanonta, Chutima; Ratanopas, Wasoontara; Temcharoen, Paradee; Srisorrachatr, Suwat

    2011-03-10

    Childhood obesity has become an important public health problem in Thailand. This study aimed to determine the relationship between self discipline and obesity in Bangkok school children. A case control study was conducted. 140 cases (obese children) and 140 controls (normal weight children) were randomly chosen from grades 4-6 students in 4 Bangkok public schools. Questionnaire responses regarding general characteristics and child self-discipline were obtained from children and their parents. Self discipline in eating habits, money management and time management were reported at significantly lower levels among the obese group (p < 0.05). After controlling all other variables, it was revealed that the ranking of factors associated with obesity by adjusted odds ratio (OR) were low self-discipline in managing expenses (3.1), poor home environment (3.0,), moderate self-discipline in time management (2.9), television viewing time ≥2 hours/day (2.6), an obese father (2.2), and an obese mother (1.9). It was recommended that parents and teachers participate in child self-discipline guidance, particularly with regard to eating habits, money management and time management in a supportive environment that both facilitates prevention of obesity and simultaneously develops a child's personal control.

  7. An innovative summer camp program improves weight and self-esteem in obese children

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    To determine the potential benefits of a residential summer camp to treat childhood obesity, 21 obese, multiethnic children (aged 11.4 +/- 1.4 years; body mass index [BMI] percentile 98.5 +/- 1.4; BMI z score 2.30 +/- 0.33) from a diverse socioeconomic background were enrolled in a 2-week summer cam...

  8. Differential adipokine receptor expression on circulating leukocyte subsets in lean and obese children.

    PubMed

    Keustermans, Genoveva; van der Heijden, Laila B; Boer, Berlinda; Scholman, Rianne; Nuboer, Roos; Pasterkamp, Gerard; Prakken, Berent; de Jager, Wilco; Kalkhoven, Eric; Janse, Arieke J; Schipper, Henk S

    2017-01-01

    Childhood obesity prevalence has increased worldwide and is an important risk factor for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The production of inflammatory adipokines by obese adipose tissue contributes to the development of T2D and CVD. While levels of circulating adipokines such as adiponectin and leptin have been established in obese children and adults, the expression of adiponectin and leptin receptors on circulating immune cells can modulate adipokine signalling, but has not been studied so far. Here, we aim to establish the expression of adiponectin and leptin receptors on circulating immune cells in obese children pre and post-lifestyle intervention compared to normal weight control children. 13 obese children before and after a 1-year lifestyle intervention were compared with an age and sex-matched normal weight control group of 15 children. Next to routine clinical and biochemical parameters, circulating adipokines were measured, and flow cytometric analysis of adiponectin receptor 1 and 2 (AdipoR1, AdipoR2) and leptin receptor expression on peripheral blood mononuclear cell subsets was performed. Obese children exhibited typical clinical and biochemical characteristics compared to controls, including a higher BMI-SD, blood pressure and circulating leptin levels, combined with a lower insulin sensitivity index (QUICKI). The 1-year lifestyle intervention resulted in stabilization of their BMI-SD. Overall, circulating leukocyte subsets showed distinct adipokine receptor expression profiles. While monocytes expressed high levels of all adipokine receptors, NK and iNKT cells predominantly expressed AdipoR2, and B-lymphocytes and CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocyte subsets expressed AdipoR2 as well as leptin receptor. Strikingly though, leukocyte subset numbers and adipokine receptor expression profiles were largely similar in obese children and controls. Obese children showed higher naïve B-cell numbers, and pre-intervention also higher numbers of

  9. Betatrophin: no relation to glucose metabolism or weight status in obese children before and after lifestyle intervention.

    PubMed

    Roth, Christian L; Elfers, Clinton; Lass, Nina; Reinehr, Thomas

    2017-09-01

    The influences of obesity, glucose metabolism, gender, and puberty on betatrophin levels and the longitudinal relationships between weight loss, metabolic changes and betatrophin have not yet been studied in childhood. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of weight status (standard deviation score-body mass index (SDS-BMI)), homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), gender, and pubertal stage were evaluated in 69 obese children (51% female, age 11.9 ± 2.0 years) participating in lifestyle intervention over a 1-year period. An oral glucose tolerance test was performed in 53 of the 69 children. Twenty normal weight children (50% female, age 12.3 ± 3.0 years) served as controls. Circulating betatrophin did not differ significantly between obese and lean children (1.99 ± 0.90 vs 2.35 ± 0.28, mean ± SD, P = .155). At baseline, betatrophin did not differ in obese patients with vs without glucose intolerance (1.89 ± 0.96 vs 2.031 ± 0.91 ng/mL; P = .591) and obese with (delta SDS-BMI >0.4) vs without successful obesity intervention (1.89 ± 0.94 vs. 2.07 ± 0.87 ng/mL; P = 0.396). In multiple linear regression analyses, pubertal stage was associated with betatrophin (b: 0.48, P = .027), while gender, age, BMI, blood pressure, fasting glucose, HOMA-IR, triglycerides, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol were not related to betatrophin at baseline. At the end of the 1-year intervention, changes of betatrophin were not significantly associated with any parameter after controlling for multiple covariates including age and changes of pubertal stages. Our data do not support a relationship between betatrophin and weight status or glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, and lipid metabolism in children. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Incretin secretion in obese Korean children and adolescents with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes.

    PubMed

    Park, So Hyun; Jung, Min Ho; Cho, Won Kyoung; Park, Mi Sun; Suh, Byung Kyu

    2016-01-01

    The role of incretins in type 2 diabetes is controversial. This study investigated the association between incretin levels in obese Korean children and adolescents newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. We performed a 2-hr oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in obese children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes and with normal glucose tolerance. Twelve obese children and adolescents with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (DM group) and 12 obese age-matched subjects without type 2 diabetes (NDM group) were included. An OGTT was conducted and insulin, C-peptide, glucagon, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) were measured during the OGTT. The mean age of the patients was 13·8 ± 2·0 years, and the mean body mass index (BMI) Z-score was 2·1 ± 0·5. The groups were comparable in age, sex, BMI Z-score and waist:hip ratio. The DM group had significantly lower homeostasis model assessment of β and insulinogenic index values (P < 0·001). The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index was not different between the two groups. Insulin and C-peptide secretions were significantly lower in the DM group than in the NDM group (P < 0·001). Total GLP-1 secretion was significantly higher in the DM group while intact GLP-1 and GIP secretion values were not significantly different between the two groups. Impaired insulin secretion might be important in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes in obese Korean children and adolescents, however, which may not be attributed to incretin secretion. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Preproghrelin Leu72Met polymorphism in obese Korean children.

    PubMed

    Jo, Dae-Sun; Kim, Se-Lim; Kim, Sun-Young; Hwang, Pyoung Han; Lee, Kee-Hyoung; Lee, Dae-Yeol

    2005-11-01

    Ghrelin is a novel gut-brain peptide that has somatotropic, orexigenic, and adipogenic effects. We examined the preproghrelin Leu72Met polymorphism in 222 obese Korean children to determine whether it is associated with obesity. The frequencies of the Leu72Met polymorphism were 29.3% in obese, 32.3% in overweight, and 32.5% in lean Korean children. No significant difference was found between Met72 carrier and non-carrier obese children with respect to BMI, total body fat, serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, or LDL-cholesterol levels. Our data suggest that the preproghrelin Leu72Met polymorphism is not associated with obesity in children.

  12. Internet use patterns and Internet addiction in children and adolescents with obesity.

    PubMed

    Bozkurt, H; Özer, S; Şahin, S; Sönmezgöz, E

    2018-05-01

    There are no data regarding the Internet addiction (IA) rates and patterns in youth with obesity. This study aimed to explore the prevalence and patterns of IA in children and adolescents with obesity. The relationship between IA and body mass index (BMI) was also investigated. Study includes 437 children and adolescents with age ranging from 8 to 17 years: 268 with obesity and 169 with healthy controls. The Internet addiction scale (IAS) form was administered to all participants. The obesity group also completed a personal information form including Internet usage habits and goals. Linear regression analysis was utilized to assess the contributions of Internet use habits and goals to BMI in the obesity group and IAS scores to BMI in both groups. A total of 24.6% of the obese children and adolescents were diagnosed with IA according to IAS, while 11.2% of healthy peers had IA (p < 0.05). The mean IAS scores for the obesity group and the control group were 53.71 ± 25.04 and 43.42 ± 17.36, respectively (p < 0.05). The IAS scores (t = 3.105) and spending time more than 21 h week -1 on the Internet (t = 3.262) were significantly associated with increased BMI in the obesity group (p < 0.05). Other Internet habits and goals were not associated with BMI (p > 0.05). The IAS scores (t = 8.719) were also found to be associated with increased BMI in the control group (p < 0.05). The present study suggests that obese children and adolescents were found to have higher IA rates than their healthy peers, and the results indicate an association between IA and BMI. © 2017 World Obesity Federation.

  13. The Role of Ethnicity in School-Based Obesity Intervention for School-Aged Children: A Pilot Evaluation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karczewski, Sabrina A.; Carter, Jocelyn S.; DeCator, Draycen D.

    2016-01-01

    Background: Rates of obesity have risen disproportionately for ethnic minority youth in the United States. School-based programs may be the most comprehensive and cost-effective way to implement primary prevention in children. In this study we evaluated the effect of a school-based obesity prevention on the outcome of body mass index percentile…

  14. Defining overweight and obesity among Greek children living in Thessaloniki: International versus local reference standards.

    PubMed

    Christoforidis, A; Dimitriadou, M; Papadopolou, E; Stilpnopoulou, D; Katzos, G; Athanassiou-Metaxa, M

    2011-04-01

    Body Mass Index (BMI) offers a simple and reasonable measure of obesity that, with the use of the appropriate reference, can help in the early detection of children with weight problems. Our aim was to compare the two most commonly used international BMI references and the national Greek BMI reference in identifying Greek children being overweight and obese. A group of 1557 children (820 girls and 737 boys, mean age: 11.42 ± 3.51 years) were studied. Weight and height was measured using standard methods, and BMI was calculated. Overweight and obesity were determined using the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) standards, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) BMI-forage curves and the most recent Greek BMI-for-age curves. RESULTS showed that the IOTF's cut-off limits identifies a significantly higher prevalence of overweight (22.4%) compared with both the CDC's (11.8%, p=0.03) and the Greek's (7.4%, p=0.002) cut-off limits. However, the prevalence of obesity was generally increased when it was determined using the CDC's cut-off limits (13.9%) compared to the prevalence calculated with both the IOTF's (6.5%, p=0.05) and the Greek's (6.9%, n.s.) cut off limits. The use of the national Greek reference standards for BMI underestimates the true prevalence of overweight and obesity. On the contrary, both the IOTF and the CDC standards, although independently, detect an increased number of overweight and obese children and thus they should be adopted in the clinical practice for an earlier identification and a timelier intervention.

  15. The effect of obesity and type 1 diabetes on renal function in children and adolescents.

    PubMed

    Franchini, Simone; Savino, Alessandra; Marcovecchio, M Loredana; Tumini, Stefano; Chiarelli, Francesco; Mohn, Angelika

    2015-09-01

    Early signs of renal complications can be common in youths with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Recently, there has been an increasing interest in potential renal complications associated with obesity, paralleling the epidemics of this condition, although there are limited data in children. Obese children and adolescents present signs of early alterations in renal function similar to non-obese peers with T1D. Eighty-three obese (age: 11.6 ± 3.0 yr), 164 non-obese T1D (age: 12.4 ± 3.2 yr), and 71 non-obese control (age: 12.3 ± 3.2 yr) children and adolescents were enrolled in the study. Anthropometric parameters and blood pressure were measured. Renal function was assessed by albumin excretion rate (AER), serum cystatin C, creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate (e-GFR), calculated using the Bouvet's formula. Obese and non-obese T1D youths had similar AER [8.9(5.9-10.8) vs. 8.7(5.9-13.1) µg/min] and e-GFR levels (114.8 ± 19.6 vs. 113.4 ± 19.1 mL/min), which were higher than in controls [AER: 8.1(5.9-8.7) µg/min, e-GFR: 104.7 ± 18.9 mL/min]. Prevalence of microalbuminuria and hyperfiltration was similar between obese and T1D youths and higher than their control peers (6.0 vs. 8.0 vs. 0%, p = 0.02; 15.9 vs. 15.9 vs. 4.3%, p = 0.03, respectively). Body mass index (BMI) z-score was independently related to e-GFR (r = 0.328; p < 0.001), and AER (r = 0.138; p = 0.017). Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) correlated with AER (r = 0.148; p = 0.007) but not with eGFR (r = 0.041; p = 0.310). Obese children and adolescents show early alterations in renal function, compared to normal weight peers, and they have similar renal profiles than age-matched peers with T1D. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Risk Factors for Overweight/Obesity in Preschool Children: An Ecological Approach

    PubMed Central

    McBride, Brent A.; Fiese, Barbara H.; Jones, Blake L.; Cho, Hyunkeun

    2013-01-01

    Abstract Background Identification of risk factors is critical to preventing the childhood obesity epidemic. Risk factors that contribute to obesity are multifactorial. However, limited research has focused on identifying obesity risk factors using an ecological approach. Methods Baseline self-report survey data from the STRONG Kids program were used. The sample consisted of 329 parent-child dyads recruited from childcare programs in east-central Illinois. Child height and weight were measured and converted to age- and sex-specific z-scores using standard growth charts. An ecological model provided the theoretical framework for the selection of 22 previously reported childhood obesity risk factors. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to identify risk factors. Results Of 22 potential risk factors, three were found to be significantly associated with child overweight/obesity. These included child nighttime sleep duration (χ2=8.56; p=0.003), parent BMI (χ2=5.62; p=0.01), and parental restrictive feeding for weight control (χ2=4.77; p=0.02). Children who slept for 8 hours and less were 2.2 times more likely to be overweight/obese [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3–3.7), whereas children with an overweight/obese parent were 1.9 times more likely to be overweight/obese (95% CI: 1.12–3.2). Finally, children whose parents used restrictive feeding practices were 1.75 times more likely to be overweight/obese (95% CI: 1.06–2.9). Conclusions Using an ecological approach, we conclude that childhood obesity prevention efforts may benefit from targeting the key risk factors of child sleep duration, parent BMI, and parental restrictive feeding practices as focus areas for obesity prevention. PMID:24020790

  17. The Duration of Breastfeeding and Its Association with Metabolic Syndrome among Obese Children.

    PubMed

    Yakubov, Renata; Nadir, Erez; Stein, Roni; Klein-Kremer, Adi

    2015-01-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate whether duration of breastfeeding is associated with a lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome in obese children. A retrospective analysis of obese children aged 3 to 18 years followed at a pediatric outpatient clinic at a single center between the years 2008 and 2012. The children were divided according to their breastfeeding duration: no breastfeeding, a short period of breastfeeding, and a long term breastfeeding. Also, they were divided into metabolic and nonmetabolic syndrome groups, based on physical examination and laboratory tests. Out of 4642 children who visited the clinic, 123 were obese and were included in the study. About half of them matched the metabolic syndrome criteria. There was no correlation between the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and the duration of breastfeeding. Hypertension, abnormal low levels of HDL, high levels of HbA1c, and high fasting triglyceride levels were very common in our study population, yet no statistical significance was noted among the different breastfeeding groups. In this study, breastfeeding was not associated with a reduced risk for metabolic syndrome, compared with formula feeding, in children who are obese.

  18. Distinct Lipoprotein Curves in Normal Weight, Overweight, and Obese Children and Adolescents.

    PubMed

    Interator, Hagar; Lebenthal, Yael; Hoshen, Moshe; Safra, Inbar; Balicer, Ran; Leshno, Moshe; Shamir, Raanan

    2017-12-01

    Pediatric lipoprotein curves are based on population-based samples. As obesity, may alter lipoprotein levels, cutoffs not adjusted for body mass index (BMI) are potentially inappropriate. We aimed to develop distinct serum lipid curves based on sex- and BMI-percentiles for children and adolescents. Cross-sectional analysis included all healthy children and adolescents (age range 2-17 years) with available serum lipid concentrations (n = 152,820 of approximately 1.2 million children and adolescents per study year). These children and adolescents were categorized according to sex- and age-stratified BMI-percentiles: 100,375 normal weight (5th-85th percentile), 26,028 overweight (85th-95th percentile) and 26,417 obese (≥95th percentile) individuals. Excluded were individuals with hyperlipidemia, gastrointestinal disease, thyroid disease and lipid-lowering medications. Lambda-Mu-Sigma, smoothed percentile lipid curves were computed. Obese children had a lipid profile pattern throughout childhood and adolescence similar to that of normal weight subjects but with a significant upward shift in total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C), and triglycerides (TGs) and a downward shift in high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C). Obese boys had 13 mg/dL higher TC levels (P < 0.001), 11 mg/dL higher LDL-C levels, 15 mg/dL higher non-HDL-C levels, and 5 mg/dL lower HDL-C levels (P < 0.001). Obese girls had 6 mg/dL higher TC levels, 7 mg/dL higher LDL-C levels, 11 mg/dl higher non-HDL-C levels, and 6 mg/dL lower HDL-C levels (P < 0.001). Across a large, nationally representative cohort of children and adolescents, lipoprotein levels were found to vary in relation to weight status. On the basis of these findings, it is suggested that when evaluating the lipid profile in the pediatric population, in addition to sex-based curves, clinical decision making may require

  19. Extreme Preterm Infant Rates of Overweight and Obesity at School Age in the SUPPORT Neuroimaging and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes Cohort.

    PubMed

    Vohr, Betty R; Heyne, Roy; Bann, Carla M; Das, Abhik; Higgins, Rosemary D; Hintz, Susan R

    2018-05-21

    To identify rates of overweight (body mass index [BMI] ≥85th percentile) and obesity (BMI ≥95th percentile) at 6-7 years of age and associated risk factors among extremely preterm infants born at <28 weeks of gestation. Anthropometrics, blood pressure, and active and sedentary activity levels were prospectively assessed. Three groups were compared, those with a BMI ≥85th percentile (overweight or obese for age, height, and sex) and ≥95th percentile (obese) vs <85th percentile. Multiple regression analyses estimated the relative risks of BMI ≥85th percentile and ≥95th percentile associated with perinatal and early childhood factors. Of 388 children, 22% had a BMI of ≥85th percentile and 10% were obese. Children with obesity and overweight compared with normal weight children had higher body fat (subscapular skinfold and triceps skinfold >85th percentile), central fat (waist circumference >90th percentile), spent more time in sedentary activity (20.5 vs 18.2 vs 16.7 hours/week), and had either systolic and/or diastolic hypertension (24% vs 26% vs 14%), respectively. Postdischarge weight gain velocities from 36 weeks postmenstrual age to 18 months, and 18 months to 6-7 years were independently associated with a BMI of ≥85th percentile, whereas weight gain velocity from 18 months to 6-7 years was associated with obesity. One in 5 former extremely preterm infants is overweight or obese and has central obesity at early school age. Postdischarge weight gain velocities were associated with overweight and obesity. These findings suggest the obesity epidemic is spreading to the most extremely preterm infants. ClinicalTrials.govNCT00063063 and NCT0000. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Obesity and motor coordination ability in Taiwanese children with and without developmental coordination disorder.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Yi-Ching; Wu, Sheng K; Cairney, John

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations between obesity and motor coordination ability in Taiwanese children with and without developmental coordination disorder (DCD). 2029 children (1078 boys, 951 girls) aged nine to ten years were chosen randomly from 14 elementary schools across Taiwan. We used bioelectrical impedance analysis to measure percentage of body fat (PBF) and the Movement Assessment Battery for Children test (MABC test) to evaluate the motor coordination ability. Using cut-off points based on PBF from past studies, boys and girls were divided into obese, overweight and normal-weight groups, respectively. In boys, total impairment scores and scores on balance subtest in the MABC were significantly higher in the obese and overweight groups when compared against the normal-weight group. Girls in the obese and the overweight groups had higher balance impairment scores than those of the normal-weight group. Among boys, the prevalence of obesity was highest in the DCD group, when compared to the borderline DCD and TD boys. A higher percentage of DCD girls were overweight and obese than TD girls. Obesity may be associated with poor motor coordination ability among boys and girls, and particularly in relation to balance ability. Children with DCD may have a higher risk to be overweight or obese in Taiwan. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Correlates of food patterns in young Latino children at high risk of obesity.

    PubMed

    Kaiser, Lucia L; Aguilera, Alberto L; Horowitz, Marcel; Lamp, Catherine; Johns, Margaret; Gomez-Camacho, Rosa; Ontai, Lenna; de la Torre, Adela

    2015-11-01

    The present paper examines the influence of age and gender on food patterns of Latino children. Data are from baseline of a 5-year, quasi-experimental obesity prevention study: Niños Sanos, Familia Sana (NSFS; Healthy Children, Healthy Families). In 2012, the researchers interviewed Latino parents, using a thirty-item questionnaire to ask about their children's food consumption and feeding practices. Statistical tests included t tests and ANCOVA. Rural communities in California's Central Valley, USA. Two hundred and seventeen parents (87-89% born in Mexico) and their children (aged 2-8 years). Fifty-one per cent of the children were overweight or obese (≥85th percentile of BMI for age and gender). Mean BMI Z-scores were not significantly different in boys (1·10 (SD 1·07)) and girls (0·92 (SD 1·04); P=0·12). In bivariate analysis, children aged 2-4 years consumed fast and convenience foods less often (P=0·04) and WIC (Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children)-allowable foods more often than children aged 5-8 years (P=0·01). In ANCOVA, neither age nor gender was significantly related to food patterns. Mother's acculturation level was positively related to children's consumption of fast and convenience foods (P=0·0002) and negatively related to consumption of WIC foods (P=0·01). Providing role modelling and structure in scheduling meals and snacks had a positive effect on the vegetable pattern (P=0·0007), whereas meal skipping was associated with more frequent fast and convenience food consumption (P=0·04). Acculturation and child feeding practices jointly influence food patterns in Latino immigrant children and indicate a need for interventions that maintain diet quality as children transition to school.

  2. Early introduction and cumulative consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages during the pre-school period and risk of obesity at 8-14 years of age.

    PubMed

    Cantoral, A; Téllez-Rojo, M M; Ettinger, A S; Hu, H; Hernández-Ávila, M; Peterson, K

    2016-02-01

    Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) has been associated with risk of obesity, but little evidence exists to evaluate if age of introduction and cumulative SSB consumption increases risk in children. The objective of the study was to estimate the relationship between age of introduction and cumulative SSB consumption with risk of obesity in 227 Mexican children. SSB intake was measured every 6 months; age of introduction and cumulative consumption during the pre-school period were calculated. Height, weight, waist circumference, SSB intake and other relevant variables were measured at age 8-14 years and obesity defined using standard criteria. All participants were introduced to SSB before age 24 months and most (73%) before 12 months. Early SSB introduction (≤12 months) was not significantly associated with increased odds of obesity (odds ratio [OR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.87, 4.59). However, children in the highest tertile of cumulative SSB consumption, compared with the lowest, had almost three times the odds of general (OR = 2.99, 95% CI: 1.27, 7.00) and abdominal (OR = 2.70, 95% CI: 1.03, 7.03) obesity at age 8-14 years. High SSB consumption increased the likelihood of obesity in 8-14-year-old children. Our results suggest that SSB intake should be delayed and excessive SSB consumption in pre-school period should be avoided. © 2015 World Obesity.

  3. Obesity Cardiometabolic Comorbidity Prevalence in Children in a Rural Weight-Management Program.

    PubMed

    O'Hara, Valerie; Browne, Nancy; Fathima, Samreen; Sorondo, Barbara; Bayleran, Janet; Johnston, Starr; Hastey, Kathrin

    2017-01-01

    This descriptive study examines the prevalence of obesity-related cardiometabolic (CM) risk factors using CM laboratory metrics, in 3 to 19 year olds presenting to a rural American Academy of Pediatrics stage 3 multidisciplinary weight management clinic based on gender, age ranges, and obesity classes. From 2009 to 2016, 382 children (body mass index ≥85th percentile) enrolled. Multiple logistic regression determined the effects of age, gender, or obesity class on CM risk factors. Odds of elevated insulin were more significant in 15 to 19 year olds than in 3 to 5 year olds, or in 6 to 11 year olds. Obesity class III had higher odds than class II, class I, and overweight in having elevated insulin; twice likely than class II for having low high-density lipoprotein; and twice as likely than class I for high triglycerides. Adolescents and obesity class III categories have significant CM risk but the burden in younger and less severe obesity cohorts cannot be underestimated.

  4. Prevalence of obesity was related to HLA-DQ in 2-4-year-old children at genetic risk for type 1 diabetes.

    PubMed

    Yang, J; Lernmark, Å; Uusitalo, U M; Lynch, K F; Veijola, R; Winkler, C; Larsson, H E; Rewers, M; She, J-X; Ziegler, A G; Simell, O G; Hagopian, W A; Akolkar, B; Krischer, J P; Vehik, K

    2014-12-01

    Body size is postulated to modulate type 1 diabetes as either a trigger of islet autoimmunity or an accelerator to clinical onset after seroconversion. As overweight and obesity continue to rise among children, the aim of this study was to determine whether human leukocyte antigen DQ (HLA-DQ) genotypes may be related to body size among children genetically at risk for type 1 diabetes. Repeated measures of weight and height were collected from 5969 children 2-4 years of age enrolled in The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young prospective study. Overweight and obesity was determined by the International Obesity Task Force cutoff values that correspond to body mass index (BMI) of 25 and 30 kg m(-)(2) at age 18. The average BMI was comparable across specific HLA genotypes at every age point. The proportion of overweight was not different by HL A, but percent obesity varied by age with a decreasing trend among DQ2/8 carriers (P for trend=0.0315). A multivariable regression model suggested DQ2/2 was associated with higher obesity risk at age 4 (odds ratio, 2.41; 95% confidence interval, 1.21-4.80) after adjusting for the development of islet autoantibody and/or type 1 diabetes. The HLA-DQ2/2 genotype may predispose to obesity among 2-4-year-old children with genetic risk for type 1 diabetes.

  5. Overeating phenotypes in overweight and obese children.

    PubMed

    Boutelle, Kerri N; Peterson, Carol B; Crosby, Ross D; Rydell, Sarah A; Zucker, Nancy; Harnack, Lisa

    2014-05-01

    The purpose of this study was to identify overeating phenotypes and their correlates in overweight and obese children. One hundred and seventeen treatment-seeking overweight and obese 8-12year-old children and their parents completed the study. Children completed an eating in the absence of hunger (EAH) paradigm, the Eating Disorder Examination interview, and measurements of height and weight. Parents and children completed questionnaires that evaluated satiety responsiveness, food responsiveness, negative affect eating, external eating and eating in the absence of hunger. Latent profile analysis was used to identify heterogeneity in overeating phenotypes in the child participants. Latent classes were then compared on measures of demographics, obesity status and nutritional intake. Three latent classes of overweight and obese children were identified: High Satiety Responsive, High Food Responsive, and Moderate Satiety and Food Responsive. Results indicated that the High Food Responsive group had higher BMI and BMI-Z scores compared to the High Satiety Responsive group. No differences were found among classes in demographics or nutritional intake. This study identified three overeating phenotypes, supporting the heterogeneity of eating patterns associated with overweight and obesity in treatment-seeking children. These finding suggest that these phenotypes can potentially be used to identify high risk groups, inform prevention and intervention targets, and develop specific treatments for these behavioral phenotypes. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  6. Accuracy of body mass index for age to diagnose obesity in Mexican schoolchildren.

    PubMed

    Mendoza Pablo, Pedro A; Valdés, Jesús; Ortiz-Hernández, Luis

    2015-06-01

    To compare the accuracy of three BMI-forage references (World Health Organization reference, WHO; the updated International Obesity Task Force reference, IOTF; and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) growth charts) to diagnose obesity in Mexican children. A convenience sample of Mexican schoolchildren (n = 218) was assessed. The gold standard was the percentage of body fat estimated by deuterium dilution technique. Sensitivity and specificity of the classical cutoff point of BMI-for-age to identify obesity (i.e. > 2.00 standard deviation, SD) were estimated. The accuracy (i.e. area under the curve, AUC) of three BMI-for-age references for the diagnosis of obesity was estimated with the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves method. The optimal cutoff point (OCP) was determined. The cutoff points to identify obesity had low (WHO reference: 57.6%, CDC: 53.5%) to very low (IOTF reference: 40.4%) sensitivities, but adequate specificities (91.6%, 95.0%, and, 97.5%, respectively). The AUC of the three references were adequate (0.89). For the IOTF reference, the AUC was lower among the older children. The OCP for the CDC reference (1.24 SD) was lower than the OCP for WHO (1.53 SD) and IOTF charts (1.47 SD). The classical cutoff point for obesity has low sensitivity--especially for the IOTF reference. The accuracy of the three references was similar. However, to obtain comparable diagnosis of obesity different cutoff points should be used depending of the reference. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

  7. Childhood overweight and obesity among Kenyan pre-school children: association with maternal and early child nutritional factors.

    PubMed

    Gewa, Constance A

    2010-04-01

    To report on the prevalence of overweight and obesity among pre-school children in Kenya and examine the associations between childhood overweight and selected maternal and child-related factors. Demographic Health Survey data, multistage stratified cluster sampling methodology. Rural and urban areas of Kenya. A total of 1495 children between the ages of 3 and 5 years in Kenya. Over 30 % of the children were stunted, approximately 16 % were underweight, 4 % were wasted, approximately 18 % were overweight and 4 % were obese; 8 % were both overweight/obese and stunted. Maternal overweight and obesity, higher levels of maternal education, being a large or very large child at birth, and being stunted were each associated with higher odds of overweight and obesity among Kenyan children. Older children and large household size were each associated with lower odds of overweight and obesity among Kenyan children. The analysis demonstrates the presence of under- and overnutrition among Kenyan pre-school children and the importance of focusing on expanding efforts to prevent and treat malnutrition within this population. It also identifies some of the modifiable factors that can be targeted in these efforts.

  8. The prevalence of obesity in children and young people with Down syndrome.

    PubMed

    O' Shea, Muireann; O' Shea, Carol; Gibson, Louise; Leo, Jennifer; Carty, Catherine

    2018-05-15

    Overweight and obesity is a growing concern among individuals with intellectual disabilities; however, little is known about the prevalence among children and youth with Down syndrome (CYDS). The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of overweight/obesity among CYDS in South West Ireland. This cross-sectional study measured height and weight of 61 CYDS aged 4-16 years. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated and percentage body fat (PBF) was measured using bio-electrical impendence analysis (BIA). Using the International Obesity Task Force BMI cut-offs, 51.6% of males and 40% of females were overweight/obese compared to 32% and 14.8%, respectively, using PBF. The mean PBF for males was 18.76 versus females 22.38 (p < .05). There is a higher prevalence of overweight/obesity, particularly in males, compared to the general population of children. The difference in estimation of overweight/obesity between BMI and BIA has implications for research and clinical practice. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. Obesity in Korean pre-adolescent school children: comparison of various anthropometric measurements based on bioelectrical impedance analysis.

    PubMed

    Yoo, S; Lee, S-Y; Kim, K-N; Sung, E

    2006-07-01

    To examine the relationships between body mass index (BMI), percentage-weight-for-height (PWH) and percentage body fat (PBF), and to compare their validity based on PBF with the BMI criteria of International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) for childhood obesity in Korean pre-adolescent school children. Statistical comparative analysis for anthropometric measures. Korean pre-adolescent children (438 boys and 454 girls, aged 8-12 years, mean BMI 19.5+/-3.4 kg/m2). Body mass index and PWH were calculated as body size indices from height and weight. Hand-to-foot bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) was performed to obtain PBF values, with obese children defined as PBF above 35%. Sensitivity and specificity were displayed with the gold standard of PBF, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the performance of BMI and PWH in detecting obesity. The prevalence of obesity varied by the criteria: 18.8% by Korean BMI standards for 95 percentile, 11% by the IOTF-BMI 30 kg/m2 and 29.4% by Korean PWH cutoffs. Body mass index and PWH were significantly correlated with PBF after adjusting for age, 0.910 (P<0.01) and 0.915 (P<0.01), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the PWH cutoffs were 0.909 and 0.882, respectively. The local BMI 95 percentiles had lower sensitivity (0.714) and specificity (0.790). The IOTF-BMI definition showed much lower sensitivity (0.457) and higher specificity (0.990). The BMI cutoffs corresponding with the highest accuracy were smaller than IOTF-BMI 30 kg/m2 for all age groups in both boys and girls. The prevalence of obesity among Korean pre-adolescent children widely varied according to the diagnostic criteria applied. Universally recommended cutoffs for children by IOTF showed the lowest sensitivity among the criteria used, and may therefore underestimate obesity in this population.

  10. Effects of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Obesity on Exercise Function in Children

    PubMed Central

    Evans, Carla A.; Selvadurai, Hiran; Baur, Louise A.; Waters, Karen A.

    2014-01-01

    Study Objectives: Evaluate the relative contributions of weight status and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) to cardiopulmonary exercise responses in children. Design: Prospective, cross-sectional study. Participants underwent anthropometric measurements, overnight polysomnography, spirometry, cardiopulmonary exercise function testing on a cycle ergometer, and cardiac doppler imaging. OSA was defined as ≥ 1 obstructive apnea or hypopnea per hour of sleep (OAHI). The effect of OSA on exercise function was evaluated after the parameters were corrected for body mass index (BMI) z-scores. Similarly, the effect of obesity on exercise function was examined when the variables were adjusted for OAHI. Setting: Tertiary pediatric hospital. Participants: Healthy weight and obese children, aged 7–12 y. Interventions: N/A. Measurements and Results: Seventy-one children were studied. In comparison with weight-matched children without OSA, children with OSA had a lower cardiac output, stroke volume index, heart rate, and oxygen consumption (VO2 peak) at peak exercise capacity. After adjusting for BMI z-score, children with OSA had 1.5 L/min (95% confidence interval -2.3 to -0.6 L/min; P = 0.001) lower cardiac output at peak exercise capacity, but minute ventilation and ventilatory responses to exercise were not affected. Obesity was only associated with physical deconditioning. Cardiac dysfunction was associated with the frequency of respiratory-related arousals, the severity of hypoxia, and heart rate during sleep. Conclusions: Children with OSA are exercise limited due to a reduced cardiac output and VO2 peak at peak exercise capacity, independent of their weight status. Comorbid OSA can further decrease exercise performance in obese children. Citation: Evans CA, Selvadurai H, Baur LA, Waters KA. Effects of obstructive sleep apnea and obesity on exercise function in children. SLEEP 2014;37(6):1103-1110. PMID:24882905

  11. Overweight or obesity in children aged 0 to 6 and the risk of adult metabolic syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Kim, Jieun; Lee, Insook; Lim, Sungwon

    2017-12-01

    To identify an association between overweight or obesity in early childhood and metabolic syndrome in adults. Early childhood overweight or obesity is important because it can predict metabolic syndrome in adulthood. A longer period of overweight or obesity leads to the accumulation of more risk factors. However, there are insufficient and inconsistent studies on this issue. A systematic review and meta-analysis. We followed the Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guideline, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane library and CINAHL electronic databases as well as reference lists of included studies were searched, without published date restriction. We used the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale to assess the quality of the observational studies in the systematic review, and the meta-analysis was performed using random-effects models. All of the included studies were published from 2008-2014, and the participants of this study were only Asians or Europeans. A total of 12 results from five studies were included in the meta-analysis. Overweight or obesity in early childhood was associated with a higher risk of adult metabolic syndrome compared with the controls. When confirmed in each age group (at birth, 0-2 and 2-6 years), there was a statistically significant difference before and after the age of 2 years. As a result of the meta-regression, when the age of the children increased, the effect size of adult metabolic syndrome for overweight or obesity also increased. The results confirm that the aetiology of metabolic syndrome includes long-term impacts from the early stage of life and indicate that early intervention for overweight or obesity is needed. these findings could help community and clinical health nurses recognize the risk of overweight or obesity in early life, and provide evidence to develop and implement the preventive intervention for early childhood. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. The association between skeletal maturation and adrenal androgen levels in obese children and adolescents.

    PubMed

    Kim, Sung Eun; Jang, Joon Weon; Ahn, Moon Bae; Kim, Shin-Hee; Cho, Won Kyoung; Cho, Kyoung Soon; Park, So Hyun; Jung, Min Ho; Suh, Byoung Kyu

    2017-06-01

    This study aimed to investigate the association between skeletal maturation and adrenal androgen levels in obese children and adolescents. Fifty-three children and adolescents (aged 7-15 years) diagnosed as obese or overweight were investigated. Anthropometric measurements, bone age (BA) determination, serum biochemical analyses, and hormonal measurements were performed. The difference between BA and chronological age (BA-CA, dBACA) was calculated and used to represent the degree of advanced skeletal maturation. Thirty-one subjects were classified into the obese group and 22 subjects into the overweight group. Insulin resistance as calculated by the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was significantly higher in the obese group than in the overweight group (4.03±2.20 vs. 2.86±1.11, P =0.026). The skeletal maturation of the obese group was advanced, but the dBACA did not differ between the obese and overweight groups statistically (1.43±1.35 vs. 0.91±1.15, P =0.141). Serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) levels were significantly higher in subjects with dBACA>1 compared to those with dBACA≤1 (104.3±62.2 vs. 59.6±61.0, P =0.014). Correlation analyses demonstrated that dBACA was positively correlated with body mass index standard deviation scores ( r =0.35, P =0.010), fasting insulin ( r =0.36, P =0.009), HOMA-IR ( r =0.30, P =0.031), and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 ( r =0.331, P =0.028). In multivariate linear regression analysis, HOMA-IR ( P =0.026) and serum DHEA-S ( P =0.032) were positively correlated with the degree of advanced skeletal maturation. Advanced skeletal maturation is associated with increased insulin resistance and elevated DHEA-S levels in obese children and adolescents.

  13. The association between skeletal maturation and adrenal androgen levels in obese children and adolescents

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Sung Eun; Jang, Joon Weon; Ahn, Moon Bae; Kim, Shin-Hee; Cho, Won Kyoung; Cho, Kyoung Soon; Park, So Hyun; Suh, Byoung Kyu

    2017-01-01

    Purpose This study aimed to investigate the association between skeletal maturation and adrenal androgen levels in obese children and adolescents. Methods Fifty-three children and adolescents (aged 7–15 years) diagnosed as obese or overweight were investigated. Anthropometric measurements, bone age (BA) determination, serum biochemical analyses, and hormonal measurements were performed. The difference between BA and chronological age (BA–CA, dBACA) was calculated and used to represent the degree of advanced skeletal maturation. Results Thirty-one subjects were classified into the obese group and 22 subjects into the overweight group. Insulin resistance as calculated by the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was significantly higher in the obese group than in the overweight group (4.03±2.20 vs. 2.86±1.11, P=0.026). The skeletal maturation of the obese group was advanced, but the dBACA did not differ between the obese and overweight groups statistically (1.43±1.35 vs. 0.91±1.15, P=0.141). Serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) levels were significantly higher in subjects with dBACA>1 compared to those with dBACA≤1 (104.3±62.2 vs. 59.6±61.0, P=0.014). Correlation analyses demonstrated that dBACA was positively correlated with body mass index standard deviation scores (r=0.35, P=0.010), fasting insulin (r=0.36, P=0.009), HOMA-IR (r=0.30, P=0.031), and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 (r=0.331, P=0.028). In multivariate linear regression analysis, HOMA-IR (P=0.026) and serum DHEA-S (P=0.032) were positively correlated with the degree of advanced skeletal maturation. Conclusion Advanced skeletal maturation is associated with increased insulin resistance and elevated DHEA-S levels in obese children and adolescents. PMID:28690989

  14. Cesarean section may increase the risk of both overweight and obesity in preschool children.

    PubMed

    Rutayisire, Erigene; Wu, Xiaoyan; Huang, Kun; Tao, Shuman; Chen, Yunxiao; Tao, Fangbiao

    2016-11-03

    The increase rates of cesarean section (CS) occurred at the same period as the dramatic increase of childhood overweight/obesity. In China, cesarean section rates have exponentially increased in the last 20 years and they now exceed World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation. Such high rates demand an understanding to the long-term consequences on child health. We aim to examine the association between CS and risk of overweight and obesity among preschool children. We recruited 9103 children from 35 kindergartens in 4 cities located in East China. Children anthropometric measurements were taken in person by trained personnel. The mode of delivery was classified as vaginal or CS, in sub-analyses we divided cesarean delivery into elective or non-elective. The mode of delivery and other parental information were self-reported by parents. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine the associations. In our cross-sectional study of 8900 preschool children aged 3-6 years, 67.3 % were born via CS, of whom 15.7 % were obese. Cesarean delivery was significantly associated with the risk of overweight [OR 1.24; (95 % CI 1.07-1.44); p = 0.003], and the risk of obesity [OR 1.29; (95 % CI 1.13-1.49); p < 0.001] in preschool children. After adjusted for child characteristics, parental factors and family income, the odd of overweight was 1.35 and of obesity was 1.25 in children delivered by elective CS. The associations between CS and overweight/obesity in preschool children are influenced by potential confounders. Both children delivered by elective or non-elective CS are at increased risk of overweight/obesity. Potential consequences of CS on the health of the children should be discussed among both health care professionals and childbearing women.

  15. Pro-inflammatory adipocytokines, oxidative stress, insulin, Zn and Cu: Interrelations with obesity in Egyptian non-diabetic obese children and adolescents.

    PubMed

    Habib, Salem A; Saad, Entsar A; Elsharkawy, Ashraf A; Attia, Zeinab R

    2015-09-01

    To investigate the inter-relationships between adipocytokines, oxidative stress, insulin, Zn and Cu and obesity among Egyptian obese non-diabetic children and adolescents. 72 obese children and adolescents of both sexes (5-17 years) were recruited for the study. 40 healthy normal non-obese persons of matched ages and sexes were used as control group. Lipid profile, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and leptin levels were measured. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) concentrations and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were estimated. Micronutrients (Zn and Cu) concentrations in addition to insulin and fasting blood sugar (FBS) levels were also evaluated. Estimation of insulin resistance (homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR)) was derived from FBS measurements. Significant elevations (P<0.001) in TNF-α, IL-6, leptin, MDA, Cu and FBS levels and significant decreases (P<0.001) in GSH, Zn levels and SOD activity were detected among obese individuals as compared with control group. Insulin and triglyceride levels were significantly increased in obese male children and HDL-cholesterol level was increased significantly in obese adolescent females compared to controls. However, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels were significantly high in all obese cases as compared with controls. Insulin resistance was detected in 100% of the patients. We concluded that obesity with pro-inflammatory adipocytokines and hypozincemia together by many mechanisms participate in excessive oxidative stress and are highly associated with inflammation and the development of obesity-related complications. Obesity represents a critical risk factor for development of insulin resistance status. Copyright © 2015 Medical University of Bialystok. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.

  16. [ANTHROPOMETRIC INDICATORS AND CARDIOMETABOLIC EVENTS AMONG SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN FROM SONORA, MEXICO].

    PubMed

    Peralta Peña, Sandra Lidia; Reséndiz González, Eunice; Rubí Vargas, María; Terrazas Medina, Efraín Alonso; Cupul Uicab, Lea Aurora

    2015-10-01

    obesity in childhood is predictive of obesity in adulthood and it is associated with adverse health effect apparent since childhood; however, the joint assessment of obesity and adverse events among children in clinical settings is unusual. to assess the association of overweight and obesity, abdominal obesity, and excess body fat with systolic [SBP] and diastolic [DBP] blood pressure, lipid profile and glucose levels; and to identify the best anthropometric indicator of such events. we conducted a cross-sectional study in a sample of 412 schoolchildren. The presence of overweight and obesity, abdominal obesity and excess body fat was determined among all participants; levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, high and low density lipoproteins, and glucose were measured in a subsample (n = 133). The associations of interest were assessed using adjusted linear and logistic regression models. 33% of the children were overweight or obese. Overall, overweight, obesity, abdominal obesity, and excess body fat were associated with elevated SBP and DBP and with a lipid profile and glucose levels that could indicate health risks among these children. Overweight and obesity were the best predictors of such events. among these school-aged children, we observed that obesity was associated with high odds of having adverse health outcomes such as high blood pressure, lipids and glucose. Such adverse events can be predicted by the presence of obesity measured by BMI, which is a noninvasive, inexpensive and easy to implement measure. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

  17. Emotional availability, understanding emotions, and recognition of facial emotions in obese mothers with young children.

    PubMed

    Bergmann, Sarah; von Klitzing, Kai; Keitel-Korndörfer, Anja; Wendt, Verena; Grube, Matthias; Herpertz, Sarah; Schütz, Astrid; Klein, Annette M

    2016-01-01

    Recent research has identified mother-child relationships of low quality as possible risk factors for childhood obesity. However, it remains open how mothers' own obesity influences the quality of mother-child interaction, and particularly emotional availability (EA). Also unclear is the influence of maternal emotional competencies, i.e. understanding emotions and recognizing facial emotions. This study aimed to (1) investigate differences between obese and normal-weight mothers regarding mother-child EA, maternal understanding emotions and recognition of facial emotions, and (2) explore how maternal emotional competencies and maternal weight interact with each other in predicting EA. A better understanding of these associations could inform strategies of obesity prevention especially in children at risk. We assessed EA, understanding emotions and recognition of facial emotions in 73 obese versus 73 normal-weight mothers, and their children aged 6 to 47 months (Mchild age=24.49, 80 females). Obese mothers showed lower EA and understanding emotions. Mothers' normal weight and their ability to understand emotions were positively associated with EA. The ability to recognize facial emotions was positively associated with EA in obese but not in normal-weight mothers. Maternal weight status indirectly influenced EA through its effect on understanding emotions. Maternal emotional competencies may play an important role for establishing high EA in interaction with the child. Children of obese mothers experience lower EA, which may contribute to overweight development. We suggest including elements that aim to improve maternal emotional competencies and mother-child EA in prevention or intervention programmes targeting childhood obesity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Expression of the central obesity and Type 2 Diabetes mellitus genes is associated with insulin resistance in young obese children.

    PubMed

    Skoczen, S; Wojcik, M; Fijorek, K; Siedlar, M; Starzyk, J B

    2015-04-01

    The assessment of the health consequences associated with obesity in young children is challenging. The aims of this study were: (1) to compare insulin resistance indices derived from OGTT in obese patients and healthy control (2) to analyze central obesity and Type 2 Diabetes genes expression in obese children, with special attention to the youngest group (< 10 years old). The study included 49 children with obesity (median age 13.5 years old), and 25 healthy peers. Biochemical blood tests and expression of 11 central obesity and 33 Type 2 Diabetes genes was assessed. A significant difference in insulin resistance between obese and non-obese adolescents was observed in all studied indices (mean values of the insulin levels: 24.9 vs. 9.71 mIU/L in T0, 128 vs. 54.7 mIU/L in T60 and 98.7 vs. 41.1 mIU/L in T120 respectively; AUC: 217 vs. 77.2 ng/ml*h, mean values of B% (state beta cell function), S% (insulin sensitivity), and IR were 255 (±97) vs. 135 (±37.8), 46.6 (±37.3) vs. 84.2 (±29.6) and 3 (±1.55) vs. 1.36 (±0,56); HIS, WBIS and ISIBel median 3.89, 44.7, 0.73 vs. 8.57, 110, 2.25. All comparisons differed significantly p<0.001). Moreover, insulin sensitivity was significantly better in the older obese group (>10 years old): median AUC 239 vs. 104 ng/ml*h, and HIS, WBIS and ISIBel 3.57, 38, 0.67 vs. 6.23, 75.6, 1.87 respectively in the obese older compared to the obese younger subgroup, p<0.05. The expression of 64% of the central obesity genes and 70% of Type 2 Diabetes genes was higher in the obese compared to control groups. The differences were more pronounced in the younger obese group. Insulin resistance may develop in early stage of childhood obesity and in very young children may be associated with higher expression of the central obesity and Type 2 Diabetes genes. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  19. Maternal-infant relationship quality and risk of obesity at age 5.5 years in a national US cohort

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Poor quality relationships between mothers and toddlers have been associated with higher risk for childhood obesity, but few prospective studies of obesity have assessed maternal-child relationship quality in infancy. In addition it is not known whether the increased risk is associated with the mother’s or the child’s contribution to the relationship quality. Methods We analyzed data (n = 5650) from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort, a national study of U.S. children born in 2001 and followed until they entered kindergarten. At 9 months of age, the Nursing Child Assessment Teaching Scale (NCATS) was used to assess the quality of observed playtime interactions between mothers and infants, yielding separate scores for maternal and infant behaviors. Obesity (BMI ≥95th percentile) at age 5.5 years was based on measured weight and height. Results The prevalence (95% confidence interval) of obesity at 5.5 years of age was higher among children in the lowest quartile of maternal NCATS score (20.2% [95% CI: 17.2%, 23.2%]) than in the highest quartile (13.9% [11.3%, 16.5%]), but maternal NCATS score was not significantly associated with obesity after adjustment for race/ethnicity, maternal education and household income. The prevalence of obesity at 5.5 years of age was similar among children in the lowest quartile of infant NCATS score (17.4% [14.4%, 20.3%]) and in the highest quartile (17.6% 14.4%, 20.8%]), and was not changed with covariate adjustment. Conclusions Maternal-infant relationship quality, assessed by direct observation at 9 months of age in a national sample, was not associated with an increased risk of obesity at age 5.5 years after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. PMID:24564412

  20. The Effects of Obesity on Drug Metabolism in Children.

    PubMed

    Oeser, Steffen G; Rougee, Luc R A; Collier, Abby C

    2015-01-01

    Obesity in children is a significant clinical concern. There are many anecdotes and case studies regarding specific reactions of obese children to medications including therapeutic failure, adverse drug reactions and/or requirements for higher weight-adjusted dosing. There isis, however, a lack of basic and clinical data dissecting the mechanisms of these effects on pharmaceutical efficacy and safety. At present it is unknown how much of the difference in drug disposition in obese children can be attributed to obesity, to maturation or to an interaction between the two. Since a major determinant of drug disposition is hepatic metabolism, here we review how obesity alters hepatic drug disposition in children. Basic as well as clinical data summarizing the current knowledge of biochemical, physiological and clinical effects of pediatric obesity on drug disposition are considered. We conclude that there is a dire need for increased research into the direct effects of obesity on absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion, as well as changes to pharmacokinetic parameters such as bioavailability and clearance. Increased effort in this area may elucidate the effects of obesity on clinical drug disposition with sufficient detail to provide better dosing guidelines where needed for children.

  1. Recovery Responses to Maximal Exercise in Healthy-Weight Children and Children With Obesity.

    PubMed

    Easley, Elizabeth A; Black, W Scott; Bailey, Alison L; Lennie, Terry A; Sims, Wilma J; Clasey, Jody L

    2018-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine differences in heart rate recovery (HRRec) and oxygen consumption recovery (VO 2 recovery) between young healthy-weight children and children with obesity following a maximal volitional graded exercise test (GXTmax). Twenty healthy-weight children and 13 children with obesity completed body composition testing and performed a GXTmax. Immediately after the GXTmax, HRRec and VO 2 recovery were measured each minute for 5 consecutive minutes. There were no statistically significant group differences in HRRec for the 5 min following maximal exercise, Wilks's Lambda = .885, F(4, 28) = 0.911, p = .471, between the healthy-weight children and children with obesity despite statistically significant differences in body fat percentage (BF%; healthy-weight children, 18.5 ± 6.1%; children with obesity, 41.1 ± 6.9%, p < .001) and aerobic capacity relative to body mass (VO 2 peak; healthy-weight children, 46.8 ± 8.2 mL/kg/min; children with obesity, 31.9 ± 4.7 mL/kg/min, p < .001). There were statistically significant differences in VO 2 recovery for the 5 min following exercise, Wilks's Lambda = .676, F(4, 26) = 3.117, p = .032. There were no statistically significant correlations between HRRec and body mass index (BMI), BF%, VO 2 peak, or physical activity. In a healthy pediatric population, obesity alone does not seem to significantly impact HRRec, and because HRRec was not related to obesity status, BMI, or BF%, it should not be used as the sole indicator of aerobic capacity or health status in children. Using more than one recovery variable (i.e., HRRec and VO 2 recovery) may provide greater insight into cardiorespiratory fitness in this population.

  2. Overweight and Obesity among Children (10-13 years) in Bahrain:A comparison between Two International Standards

    PubMed Central

    O. Musaiger, Abdulrahman; Al-Mannai, Mariam; Al-Marzog, Qazi

    2014-01-01

    Objective: Obesity has become one of the main public health problems worldwide. Childhood obesity rate is growing very fast in both developed and developing countries. This paper aimed to explore the prevalence of overweight and obesity among school children aged 10-13 years in Bahrain, and to find out the difference in this prevalence when using two international standards. Methods: A multistage stratified sampling procedure was used to select 2146 students (1068 males, 1078 females) from public schools in Bahrain. Weight and height were measured and Body Mass Index for age and sex was calculated to determine the obesity levels. Both International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) and World Health Organization (WHO) references were used to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity. Results: The findings revealed that the prevalence of overweight and obesity ranged from 15.7% to 28.9% among males and from 21.1% to 30.7% among females. The WHO reference standard provided higher prevalence of overweight and obesity than IOTF reference. Conclusion: The study confirmed that obesity is a problem of concern in Bahraini school children and calls for intervention programme to combat obesity in schools. However, the standard used to determine obesity levels should be carefully selected and interpreted. PMID:24948966

  3. [Obesity, overweight and anemia in children from a rural area of Lima, Peru].

    PubMed

    Rodríguez-Zúñiga, Milton J

    2015-01-01

    We evaluated the association between anemia, overweight and obesity in a children population of a rural area in Lima.Demographic, anthropometric and hemoglobin information (from the Information System of Nutritional Status of Children, ISNSC, 2014, of schoolchildren 1-15 attending public schools under the Micro Red Pachacamac jurisdiction) were employed in a cross sectional design. Descriptive statistical and association analysis between anemia and nutritional status were carried out. Logistic regression was used to find significant variables associated to anemia.The prevalence of anemia was 10.8% (CI95% 9.5-12.0), overweight was 17.3% (CI95% 15.8-18.9) and 16.2% of children were obese (CI95% 14.7 - 17.7). No significant association between the diagnosis of anemia, overweight or obesity (chi2 = 1.68, p = 0.432) was found. However, there was an inverse significant association between the diagnosis of anemia and Body Mass Index (BMI) (z =-3.77, p = 0.000); and a higher level of hemoglobin among those over 12 y/o (ANOVA, F = 108.19, p = 0.006). In univariate analysis, only age (OR 1.14, IC95% 1.08-1.20) and IMC (OR 1.08, IC95% 1.04-1.13) were associated to anemia. There is no relationship between nutritional diagnosis of obesity, overweight and anemia in this population. However, children with older age and greater BMI were less likely to present anemia. Public policies in the last five years have focused on reducing this double nutritional problem in children.

  4. Neighbourhood fast food outlets and obesity in children and adults: the CLAN Study.

    PubMed

    Crawford, David A; Timperio, Anna F; Salmon, Jo A; Baur, Louise; Giles-Corti, Billie; Roberts, Rebecca J; Jackson, Michelle L; Andrianopoulos, Nick; Ball, Kylie

    2008-01-01

    We examined associations between density of and proximity to fast food outlets and body weight in a sample of children (137 aged 8-9 years and 243 aged 13-15 years) and their parents (322 fathers and 362 mothers). Children's measured and parents' self-reported heights and weights were used to calculate body mass index (BMI). Locations of major fast food outlets were geocoded. Bivariate linear regression analyses examined associations between the presence of any fast food outlet within a 2 km buffer around participants' homes, fast food outlet density within the 2 km buffer, and distance to the nearest outlet and BMI. Each independent variable was also entered into separate bivariate logistic regression analyses to predict the odds of being overweight or obese. Among older children, those with at least one outlet within 2 km had lower BMI z-scores. The further that fathers lived from an outlet, the higher their BMI. Among 13-15-year-old girls and their fathers, the likelihood of overweight/obesity was reduced by 80% and 50%, respectively, if they had at least one fast food outlet within 2 km of their home. Among older girls, the likelihood of being overweight/obese was reduced by 14% with each additional outlet within 2 km. Fathers' odds of being overweight/obese increased by 13% for each additional kilometre to the nearest outlet. While consumption of fast food has been shown to be associated with obesity, this study provides little support for the concept that exposure to fast food outlets in the local neighbourhood increases risk of obesity.

  5. Self discipline and obesity in Bangkok school children

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Childhood obesity has become an important public health problem in Thailand. This study aimed to determine the relationship between self discipline and obesity in Bangkok school children. Methods A case control study was conducted. 140 cases (obese children) and 140 controls (normal weight children) were randomly chosen from grades 4-6 students in 4 Bangkok public schools. Questionnaire responses regarding general characteristics and child self-discipline were obtained from children and their parents. Results Self discipline in eating habits, money management and time management were reported at significantly lower levels among the obese group (p < 0.05). After controlling all other variables, it was revealed that the ranking of factors associated with obesity by adjusted odds ratio (OR) were low self-discipline in managing expenses (3.1), poor home environment (3.0,), moderate self-discipline in time management (2.9), television viewing time ≥2 hours/day (2.6), an obese father (2.2), and an obese mother (1.9). Conclusions It was recommended that parents and teachers participate in child self-discipline guidance, particularly with regard to eating habits, money management and time management in a supportive environment that both facilitates prevention of obesity and simultaneously develops a child's personal control. PMID:21392376

  6. Obesity prevention in children and adolescents.

    PubMed

    Swinburn, Boyd

    2009-01-01

    Childhood and adolescent obesity has been increasing in most middle- and high-income countries, and, as with adult obesity, this has been driven by increasingly obesogenic environments, especially the food environment. This constitutes a "market failure," signaling the need for government interventions with policies, programs, and social marketing. Population prevention strategies are critical, and children and adolescents should be the priority populations. Food marketing to children is a central policy issue for governments to address, and comprehensive regulations are needed to provide substantive protection for children. Community-based intervention programs show some real promise in reducing childhood obesity, but the 2 big challenges ahead are to ensure that there is substantial ongoing funding so that the community capacity to promote healthy weights can be scaled up to a national level and to ensure that policies are in place to support these efforts. The social and cultural shifts that support healthy eating and physical activity occur differentially, and special efforts are needed to reduce the socioeconomic gradients associated with childhood obesity. A positive public health approach encompassing environmental, regulatory, sociocultural, and educational strategies offer the best chance of reducing obesity without increasing disordered eating patterns.

  7. Reduced motor competence in children with obesity is associated with structural differences in the cerebellar peduncles.

    PubMed

    Augustijn, Mireille J C M; Deconinck, Frederik J A; D'Hondt, Eva; Van Acker, Lore; De Guchtenaere, Ann; Lenoir, Matthieu; Caeyenberghs, Karen

    2017-08-22

    Previous studies have suggested that neurological factors partly explain the reduced motor competence found in many children with obesity. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to compare motor competence and white matter organization of important pathways for motor control (cerebellar peduncles) in children with and without obesity. Nineteen children with obesity and 25 children with a healthy weight, aged 7-11 years old, were included. Anthropometric measurements were taken and the level of motor competence was assessed using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (2nd Edition). Children's brain was scanned using diffusion weighted imaging preceded by a standard anatomical scan. Fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity were extracted from the cerebellar peduncles. Obese children's level of motor competence was significantly lower than that in healthy weight peers (p < 0.05). Additionally, significant group differences (p < 0.05) were found for values of fractional anisotropy, but not for mean diffusivity. Further analyses revealed that lower values of fractional anisotropy in the inferior (p = 0.040) and superior (p = 0.007) cerebellar peduncles were present in children with obesity compared to children with a healthy weight. After controlling for multiple comparisons (p < 0.0167), only significant differences in the superior cerebellar peduncle remained significant. Our results showed that childhood obesity is accompanied by reduced motor competence and alterations in white matter organization. This suggests that the motor difficulties of children with obesity are not solely due to carrying excess weight, which may have implications for prevention and intervention programs.

  8. Bullying and Victimization in Overweight and Obese Outpatient Children and Adolescents: An Italian Multicentric Study.

    PubMed

    Bacchini, Dario; Licenziati, Maria Rosaria; Garrasi, Alessandra; Corciulo, Nicola; Driul, Daniela; Tanas, Rita; Fiumani, Perla Maria; Di Pietro, Elena; Pesce, Sabino; Crinò, Antonino; Maltoni, Giulio; Iughetti, Lorenzo; Sartorio, Alessandro; Deiana, Manuela; Lombardi, Francesca; Valerio, Giuliana

    2015-01-01

    Being overweight or obese is one of the most common reasons that children and adolescents are teased at school. We carried out a study in order to investigate: i) the relation between weight status and school bullying and ii) the relation between weight status categories and types of victimization and bullying in an outpatient sample of Italian children and adolescents with different degrees of overweight from minimal overweight up to severe obesity. Nine-hundred-forty-seven outpatient children and adolescents (age range 6.0-14.0 years) were recruited in 14 hospitals distributed over the country of Italy. The participants were classified as normal-weight (N = 129), overweight (N = 126), moderately obese (N = 568), and severely obese (N = 124). The nature and extent of verbal, physical and relational bullying and victimization were assessed with an adapted version of the revised Olweus bully-victim questionnaire. Each participant was coded as bully, victim, bully-victim, or not involved. Normal-weight and overweight participants were less involved in bullying than obese participants; severely obese males were more involved in the double role of bully and victim. Severely obese children and adolescents suffered not only from verbal victimization but also from physical victimization and exclusion from group activities. Weight status categories were not directly related to bullying behaviour; however severely obese males perpetrated more bullying behaviour compared to severely obese females. Obesity and bullying among children and adolescents are of ongoing concern worldwide and may be closely related. Common strategies of intervention are needed to cope with these two social health challenges.

  9. The prevalence of abnormal metabolic parameters in obese and overweight children.

    PubMed

    Salvatore, Deborah; Satnick, Ava; Abell, Rebecca; Messina, Catherine R; Chawla, Anupama

    2014-09-01

    This retrospective study aimed to determine the prevalence of abnormal metabolic parameters in obese children and its correlation to the degree of obesity determined by body mass index (BMI). In total, 101 children seen at the Pediatric Gastroenterology Obesity Clinic at Stony Brook Children's University Hospital were enrolled in the study. The degree of obesity was characterized according to the following formula: (patient's BMI/BMI at 95th percentile) × 100%, with class I obesity >100%-120%, class II obesity >120%-140%, and class III obesity >140%. A set of metabolic parameters was evaluated in these patients. Frequency distributions of all study variables were examined using the χ(2) test of independence. Mean differences among the obesity classes and continuous measures were examined using 1-way analysis of variance. Within our study population, we found that 80% of our obese children had a low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level, 58% had elevated fasting insulin levels, and 32% had an elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level. Class II obese children had a 2-fold higher ALT value when compared with class I children (P = .036). Fasting insulin, ALT, HDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels trended with class of obesity. Obese children in classes II and III are at higher risk for developing abnormal laboratory values. We recommend obese children be further classified to reflect the severity of the obesity since this has predictive significance for comorbidities. Obesity classes I, II, and III could help serve as a screening tool to help communicate risk assessment. © 2013 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

  10. Neurodevelopmental disorders are highly over-represented in children with obesity: A cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Wentz, Elisabet; Björk, Anna; Dahlgren, Jovanna

    2017-01-01

    To investigate prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders in children with obesity and to compare body mass index (BMI) and metabolic profile in the children. Seventy-six children (37 girls, 39 boys) were consecutively recruited from a university outpatient clinic specialized in severe obesity. Neurodevelopmental disorders including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and developmental coordination disorder (DCD) were assessed using interviews and questionnaires. Neurodevelopmental diagnoses were collected retrospectively in medical records. BMI ranged between 1.9 and 5.9 SDS and age between 5.1 and 16.5 years. In 13.2% and 18.4% ASD and ADHD was assigned, respectively. In addition, 25% screened positive for DCD, 31.6% had at least one neurodevelopmental disorder, and 18.4% had a parent who screened positive for adult ADHD. Girls with ASD/ADHD had higher BMI SDS than girls without neurodevelopmental disorder (P = 0.006). One third of children with obesity referred to specialist centers have a neurodevelopmental disorder including deviant motor skills, and these problems may deteriorate weight status. One fifth of the parents exhibit ADHD symptomatology which could partly explain the poor adherence by some families in obesity units. Future obesity therapy could benefit from incorporating a neurodevelopmental treatment approach. © 2016 The Obesity Society.

  11. Oral Fructose Absorption in Obese Children with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

    PubMed Central

    Sullivan, Jillian S; Le, MyPhuong T; Pan, Zhaoxing; Rivard, Christopher; Love-Osborne, Kathryn; Robbins, Kristen; Johnson, Richard J; Sokol, Ronald J; Sundaram, Shikha S

    2014-01-01

    Background Fructose intake is associated with NAFLD (Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease) development. Objective To measure fructose absorption/metabolism in pediatric NAFLD compared to obese and lean controls. Methods Children with histologically proven NAFLD, and obese and lean controls received oral fructose (1 gm/kg ideal body weight). Serum glucose, insulin, uric acid, and fructose, urine uric acid, urine fructose, and breath hydrogen levels were measured at baseline and multiple points until 360 minutes after fructose ingestion. Results Nine NAFLD (89% Hispanic, mean age 14.3 years, mean BMI 35.3 kg/m2), 6 Obese Controls (67% Hispanic, mean age 12.7 years, mean BMI 31.0 kg/m2), and 9 Lean Controls (44% Hispanic, mean age 14.3 years, mean BMI 19.4 kg/m2) were enrolled. Following fructose ingestion, NAFLD vs. Lean Controls had elevated serum glucose, insulin, and uric acid (p<0.05), higher urine uric acid (p=0.001) but lower fructose excretion (p=0.002) and lower breath hydrogen 180-min AUC (p=0.04). NAFLD vs. Obese Controls had similar post-fructose serum glucose, insulin, urine uric acid, and breath hydrogen, but elevated serum uric acid (p<0.05) and lower urine fructose excretion (p=0.02). Conclusions Children with NAFLD absorb and metabolize fructose more effectively than lean subjects, associated with an exacerbated metabolic profile following fructose ingestion. PMID:24961681

  12. Prevalence of Dyslipidemia and Associated Factors in Obese Children and Adolescents.

    PubMed

    Elmaoğulları, Selin; Tepe, Derya; Uçaktürk, Seyit Ahmet; Karaca Kara, Fatma; Demirel, Fatma

    2015-09-01

    Childhood-onset obesity is associated with increased mortality and morbidity related to cardiovascular diseases (CVD) during adulthood. Dyslipidemia has a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of CVD. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of dyslipidemia and related factors among obese children and adolescents. Obese patients aged between 2 and 18 years were included in the study. Serum concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C), fasting glucose levels, insulin, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (fT4), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and liver ultrasound findings were evaluated retrospectively. Among 823 obese patients, 353 (42.9%) met the dyslipidemia criteria: 21.7% had hypertriglyceridemia, 19.7% had low levels of HDL-C, 18.6% had hypercholesterolemia, and 13.7% had high levels of LDL-C. Older age and/or high body mass index (BMI) were related to increased prevalence of dyslipidemia. Hepatosteatosis was more common among dyslipidemic patients. The frequency of insulin resistance (IR) and of higher levels of ALT and TSH were also detected in dyslipidemic patients. Patients with both dyslipidemia and grade 2-3 hepatosteatosis had higher levels of ALT, AST and TSH and lower levels of fT4. Prevalence of dyslipidemia is high in obese children, and hypertriglyceridemia is in the foreground. Higher levels of IR and more apparent abnormal liver function test results are observed in the context of dyslipidemia and hepatosteatosis coexistence. Metabolic and hormonal alterations related with thyroid functions may also be associated with dyslipidemia and hepatosteatosis in obese patients.

  13. Cardiometabolic risk is associated with the severity of sleep-disordered breathing in children with obesity.

    PubMed

    Isacco, Laurie; Roche, Johanna; Quinart, Sylvain; Thivel, David; Gillet, Valérie; Nègre, Véronique; Mougin, Fabienne

    2017-03-01

    The alarming progression of pediatric obesity is associated with the development of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), and both exhibit similar adverse cardiometabolic health outcomes. Physical activity level (PAL) may counteract sleep and metabolic disturbances. The present study investigates i) the association between the metabolic syndrome in childhood obesity and SDB, ii) the impact of SDB severity on cardiometabolic risk scores and PAL in children with obesity. Maturation status (Tanner stages), anthropometric (height, weight, body mass index, waist circumference, body adiposity index) and cardiometabolic characteristics (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, lipid and glycemic profiles) were assessed in 83 obese children (mean±SD, age: 10.7±2.7years). PAL and SDB were investigated with a step test and interviews, and an overnight sleep monitor, respectively. The presence or absence of metabolic syndrome (MS) was established and continuous cardiometabolic risk scores were calculated (MetScore BMI and MetScore WC ). Obese children with (61.4%) and without (38.6%) MS present similar SDB. SDB severity is associated with increased insulin concentrations, MetScore BMI and MetScore WC (p<0.05) in obese children. There is no association between SDB and PAL. In a context where no consensus exists for SDB diagnosis in children, our results suggest the influence of SDB severity on cardiometabolic risk factors. Further studies are needed to explore the association between PAL and both metabolic and sleep alterations in obese children. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Distribution of subcutaneous fat and the relationship with blood pressure in obese children and adolescents in Shandong, China.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Ying-xiu; Wang, Shu-rong

    2015-03-01

    The association between elevated blood pressure (BP) and childhood obesity has been documented in several studies. However, the association between BP and body fat distribution in obese children remains poorly understood. We examined the distribution of subcutaneous fat and its association with BP in obese children and adolescents. Data for this study were obtained from a large cross-sectional survey of school children. A total of 38,873 students (19,485 boys and 19,388 girls) aged 7-17 years participated in this study. Height, weight, BP, subscapular and triceps skinfold thicknesses (SFT) of all subjects were measured. Obesity was defined by using body mass index (BMI) criteria recommended by the Working Group on Obesity in China. A total of 3,579 obese children and adolescents (2,367 boys and 1,212 girls) were examined. Most of the obese children and adolescents had high subcutaneous fat. However, a small number of the obese individuals had a lower SFT levels. Obese children and adolescents with high SFT and central distribution had higher BP levels than those with low SFT and peripheral distribution. Obese children and adolescents assessed by BMI might not necessarily have a high SFT level. The BP level of obese individuals is associated with the level and distribution pattern of SFT. Additional measurement of SFT is better than BMI alone to help identify high BP risks. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Household food insecurity is associated with abdominal but not general obesity among Iranian children.

    PubMed

    Jafari, Fateme; Ehsani, Simin; Nadjarzadeh, Azadeh; Esmaillzadeh, Ahmad; Noori-Shadkam, Mahmood; Salehi-Abargouei, Amin

    2017-04-21

    Childhood obesity is increasing all over the world. Food insecurity is mentioned as a possible risk factor; however, previous studies have led to inconsistent results in different societies while data are lacking for the Middle East. We aimed to investigate the relationship between food insecurity and general or abdominal obesity in Iranian children in a cross-sectional study. Anthropometric data including height, weight, and waist circumference were measured by trained nutritionists. General and abdominal obesity were defined based on world health organization (WHO) and Iranian reference curves for age and gender, respectively. Radimer/Cornell food security questionnaire was filled by parents. Data about the physical activity of participants, family socio-economic status, parental obesity and data about perinatal period were also gathered using self-administered questionnaires. Logistic regression was incorporated to investigate the association between food insecurity and obesity in crude and multi-variable adjusted models. A total of 587 children aged 9.30 ± 1.49 years had complete data for analysis. Food insecurity at household level was significantly associated with abdominal obesity (odds ratio (OR) = 1.54; confidence interval (CI):1.01-2.34, p <0.05) and the relationship remained significant after adjusting for all potential confounding variables (OR = 2.02; CI:1.01-4.03, p <0.05). Food insecurity was associated with general obesity neither in crude analysis and multi-variable adjusted models. The slight levels of food insecurity might increase the likelihood of abdominal obesity in Iranian children and macroeconomic policies to improve the food security are necessary. Large-scale prospective studies, particularly in the Middle East, are highly recommended to confirm our results.

  16. Recovery Responses to Maximal Exercise in Healthy-Weight Children and Children with Obesity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Easley, Elizabeth A.; Black, W. Scott; Bailey, Alison L.; Lennie, Terry A.; Sims, Wilma J.; Clasey, Jody L.

    2018-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine differences in heart rate recovery (HRRec) and oxygen consumption recovery (VO2 recovery) between young healthy-weight children and children with obesity following a maximal volitional graded exercise test (GXTmax). Method: Twenty healthy-weight children and 13 children with obesity completed body…

  17. [The role of uric acid in the insulin resistance in children and adolescents with obesity].

    PubMed

    de Miranda, Josiane Aparecida; Almeida, Guilherme Gomide; Martins, Raissa Isabelle Leão; Cunha, Mariana Botrel; Belo, Vanessa Almeida; dos Santos, José Eduardo Tanus; Mourão-Júnior, Carlos Alberto; Lanna, Carla Márcia Moreira

    2015-12-01

    To investigate the association between serum uric acid levels and insulin resistance in children and adolescents with obesity. Cross-sectional study with 245 children and adolescents (134 obese and 111 controls), aged 8 to 18 years. The anthropometric variables (weight, height and waist circumference), blood pressure and biochemical parameters were collected. The clinical characteristics of the groups were analyzed by t-test or chi-square test. To evaluate the association between uric acid levels and insulin resistance the Pearson's test and logistic regression were applied. The prevalence of insulin resistance was 26.9%. The anthropometric variables, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and biochemical variables were significantly higher in the obese group (p<0.001), except for the high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol. There was a positive and significant correlation between anthropometric variables and uric acid with HOMA-IR in the obese and in the control groups, which was higher in the obese group and in the total sample. The logistic regression model that included age, gender and obesity, showed an odds ratio of uric acid as a variable associated with insulin resistance of 1.91 (95%CI 1.40 to 2.62; p<-0.001). The increase in serum uric acid showed a positive statistical correlation with insulin resistance and it is associated with and increased risk of insulin resistance in obese children and adolescents. Copyright © 2015 Sociedade de Pediatria de São Paulo. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  18. Y2 receptor gene variants reduce the risk of hypertension in obese children and adolescents.

    PubMed

    Santoro, Nicola; Del Giudice, Emanuele Miraglia; Grandone, Anna; Marzuillo, Pierluigi; Cozzolino, Domenico; Di Salvo, Giovanni; Pacileo, Giuseppe; Calabrò, Raffaele; Perrone, Laura

    2008-08-01

    To verify whether peptide YY (PYY) and its Y2 receptor (Y2R) gene variants can be associated with obesity or hypertension or both in a cohort of obese children and adolescents. Two hundred and twenty-nine obese children (105 girls, mean z-score BMI 5.1 +/- 2.4; mean age 10.5 +/- 2.9 years) and 250 age and sex-matched lean controls (130 women, mean z-score BMI 0.5 +/- 1.1; mean age 10.3 +/- 2.8) were enrolled in the study. Height, weight, BMI, waist circumference and 24-h systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured. Night-time, day-time and 24-h systolic and diastolic blood pressures were evaluated by 24 h ambulatory blood pressure measurement, and appropriate standard deviation scores according to sex, age and height were calculated. Molecular screening of the PYY and Y2R genes was performed. No new mutations were found. We observed three previously described polymorphisms: G767C on PYY and T585C and T936C on Y2R. An association study was carried out in obese patients. No associations were found between the PYY genotypes and the studied phenotypes. The Y2R gene variants, T585C and T936C, which are in almost complete linkage disequilibrium, were found to be associated with night-time, day-time and 24-h systolic and diastolic blood pressures. In particular, subject homozygotes for the T allele showed lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure values compared with the other genotypes. Moreover, obese children homozygous for the T585 allele showed a lower risk of developing hypertension than patients carrying the CC and CT genotypes (chi 6.9; df = 1, P = 0.03; odds ratio = 0.5, 95% confidence interval: 0.27-0.88). Our results suggest that Y2R gene variants are involved in blood pressure regulation in obese children and adolescents.

  19. Effects of obstructive sleep apnea and obesity on exercise function in children.

    PubMed

    Evans, Carla A; Selvadurai, Hiran; Baur, Louise A; Waters, Karen A

    2014-06-01

    Evaluate the relative contributions of weight status and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) to cardiopulmonary exercise responses in children. Prospective, cross-sectional study. Participants underwent anthropometric measurements, overnight polysomnography, spirometry, cardiopulmonary exercise function testing on a cycle ergometer, and cardiac doppler imaging. OSA was defined as ≥ 1 obstructive apnea or hypopnea per hour of sleep (OAHI). The effect of OSA on exercise function was evaluated after the parameters were corrected for body mass index (BMI) z-scores. Similarly, the effect of obesity on exercise function was examined when the variables were adjusted for OAHI. Tertiary pediatric hospital. Healthy weight and obese children, aged 7-12 y. N/A. Seventy-one children were studied. In comparison with weight-matched children without OSA, children with OSA had a lower cardiac output, stroke volume index, heart rate, and oxygen consumption (VO2 peak) at peak exercise capacity. After adjusting for BMI z-score, children with OSA had 1.5 L/min (95% confidence interval -2.3 to -0.6 L/min; P = 0.001) lower cardiac output at peak exercise capacity, but minute ventilation and ventilatory responses to exercise were not affected. Obesity was only associated with physical deconditioning. Cardiac dysfunction was associated with the frequency of respiratory-related arousals, the severity of hypoxia, and heart rate during sleep. Children with OSA are exercise limited due to a reduced cardiac output and VO2 peak at peak exercise capacity, independent of their weight status. Comorbid OSA can further decrease exercise performance in obese children.

  20. The Impact of Breastfeeding on Early Childhood Obesity: Evidence From the National Survey of Children's Health.

    PubMed

    Hansstein, Francesca V

    2016-03-01

    To investigate how breastfeeding initiation and duration affect the likelihood of being overweight and obese in children aged 2 to 5. Cross-sectional data from the 2003 National Survey of Children's Health. Rural and urban areas of the United States. Households where at least one member was between the ages of 2 and 5 (sample size 8207). Parent-reported body mass index, breastfeeding initiation and duration, covariates (gender, family income and education, ethnicity, child care attendance, maternal health and physical activity, residential area). Partial proportional odds models. In early childhood, breastfed children had 5.3% higher probability of being normal weight (p = .002) and 8.9% (p < .001) lower probability of being obese compared to children who had never been breastfed. Children who had been breastfed for less than 3 months had 3.1% lower probability of being normal weight (p = .013) and 4.7% higher probability of being obese (p = .013) with respect to children who had been breastfed for 3 months and above. Study findings suggest that length of breastfeeding, whether exclusive or not, may be associated with lower risk of obesity in early childhood. However, caution is needed in generalizing results because of the limitations of the analysis. Based on findings from this study and others, breastfeeding promotion policies can cite the potential protective effect that breastfeeding has on weight in early childhood. © The Author(s) 2016.

  1. Defining overweight and obesity among Greek children living in Thessaloniki: International versus local reference standards

    PubMed Central

    Christoforidis, A; Dimitriadou, M; Papadopolou, E; Stilpnopoulou, D; Katzos, G; Athanassiou-Metaxa, M

    2011-01-01

    Background: Body Mass Index (BMI) offers a simple and reasonable measure of obesity that, with the use of the appropriate reference, can help in the early detection of children with weight problems. Our aim was to compare the two most commonly used international BMI references and the national Greek BMI reference in identifying Greek children being overweight and obese. Methods: A group of 1557 children (820 girls and 737 boys, mean age: 11.42 ± 3.51 years) were studied. Weight and height was measured using standard methods, and BMI was calculated. Overweight and obesity were determined using the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) standards, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) BMI-forage curves and the most recent Greek BMI-for-age curves. Results: Results showed that the IOTF's cut-off limits identifies a significantly higher prevalence of overweight (22.4%) compared with both the CDC's (11.8%, p=0.03) and the Greek's (7.4%, p=0.002) cut-off limits. However, the prevalence of obesity was generally increased when it was determined using the CDC's cut-off limits (13.9%) compared to the prevalence calculated with both the IOTF's (6.5%, p=0.05) and the Greek's (6.9%, n.s.) cut off limits. Conclusions: The use of the national Greek reference standards for BMI underestimates the true prevalence of overweight and obesity. On the contrary, both the IOTF and the CDC standards, although independently, detect an increased number of overweight and obese children and thus they should be adopted in the clinical practice for an earlier identification and a timelier intervention. PMID:22110296

  2. Metabolic biomarkers in community obese children: effect of obstructive sleep apnea and its treatment.

    PubMed

    Alonso-Álvarez, María Luz; Terán-Santos, Joaquin; Gonzalez Martinez, Mónica; Cordero-Guevara, José Aurelio; Jurado-Luque, María José; Corral-Peñafiel, Jaime; Duran-Cantolla, Joaquin; Ordax Carbajo, Estrella; MasaJimenez, Fernando; Kheirandish-Gozal, Leila; Gozal, David

    2017-09-01

    Obesity and obstructive sleep apnea in children have been associated with metabolic morbidities. The present study aimed to evaluate the presence of metabolic alterations among obese children recruited from the community, with and without obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), and the impact of treatment of OSAS on metabolic profiles. A cross-sectional, prospective, multicenter study of Spanish children aged 3-14 years with a body mass index (BMI) ≥95th percentile for age and sex were randomly selected in the first phase. Four groups emerged for follow-up: (1) no treatment; (2) dietary intervention; (3) surgical treatment of OSA; and (4) continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment of OSA. Fasting blood tests were performed at baseline (T0) and approximately one year after the intervention (T1). A total of 113 obese children with a mean age of 11.3 ± 2.9 years completed T0 and T1 assessments. Their mean BMI z-score at T1 was 1.34 ± 0.59, and mean Respiratory Disturbance Index was 8.6 ± 13.0 at T0 and 3.3 ± 4.0/hour total sleep time at T1. Only glucose fasting levels differed among metabolic parameters in obese children with OSAS and without OSAS at baseline (T0) (p = 0.018). There were statistically significant differences between surgically treated OSAS (p = 0.002), and CPAP-treated OSAS (p = 0.024) versus the non-OSAS group in the glucose levels between baseline (T0) and follow-up (T1) after controlling for age and change in BMI. Significant univariate associations between BMI and C-reactive protein, insulin, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance emerged at both T0 and T1. Concurrent obesity and OSAS could promote metabolic and inflammatory alterations, and the latter appeared to be sensitive to OSAS treatment outcomes. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01322763. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Overweight, Obesity, and Lung Function in Children and Adults-A Meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Forno, Erick; Han, Yueh-Ying; Mullen, James; Celedón, Juan C

    There is conflicting evidence on the effect of obesity on lung function in adults and children with and without asthma. We aimed to evaluate the relation between overweight or obesity and lung function, and whether such relationship varies by age, sex, or asthma status. We searched PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Cochrane, and EMBASE for all studies (in English) reporting on obesity status (by body mass index) and lung function, from 2005 to 2017. Main outcomes were forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1 ), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV 1 /FVC, forced expiratory flow between 25th and 75th percentile of the forced vital capacity (FEF 25-75 ), total lung capacity (TLC), residual volume (RV), and functional residual capacity (FRC). Random-effects models were used to calculate the pooled risk estimates; each study was weighed by the inverse effect size variance. For each outcome, we compared overweight or obese ("obese") subjects with those of normal weight. All measures of lung function were decreased among obese subjects. Obese adults showed a pattern (lower FEV 1 , FVC, TLC, and RV) different from obese children (more pronounced FEV 1 /FVC deficit with unchanged FEV 1 or FVC). There were also seemingly different patterns by asthma status, in that subjects without asthma had more marked decreases in FEV 1 , TLC, RV, and FRC than subjects with asthma. Subjects who were obese (as compared with overweight) had even further decreased FEV 1 , FVC, TLC, RV, and FRC. Obesity is detrimental to lung function, but specific patterns differ between children and adults. Physicians should be aware of adverse effects of obesity on lung function, and weight control should be considered in the management of airway disease among the obese. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Self-Management Training for Chinese Obese Children at Risk for Metabolic Syndrome: Effectiveness and Implications for School Health

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ling, Jiying; Anderson, Laura M.; Ji, Hong

    2015-01-01

    This article reviews the results of a school-based self-management intervention for Chinese obese children at risk for metabolic syndrome. Twenty-eight Chinese obese children (M age?=?10 years) and their parents participated in the study. Metabolic syndrome risk factors were measured pre- and post-intervention. The risk factors included Body Mass…

  5. Central Adiposity is Negatively Associated with Hippocampal-Dependent Relational Memory among Overweight and Obese Children

    PubMed Central

    Khan, Naiman A.; Baym, Carol L.; Monti, Jim M.; Raine, Lauren B.; Drollette, Eric S.; Scudder, Mark R.; Moore, R. Davis; Kramer, Arthur F.; Hillman, Charles H.; Cohen, Neal J.

    2014-01-01

    Objective To assess associations between adiposity and hippocampal-dependent and hippocampal-independent memory forms among prepubertal children. Study design Prepubertal children (7–9-year-olds, n = 126), classified as non-overweight (<85th %tile BMI-for-age [n = 73]) or overweight/obese (≥85th %tile BMI-for-age [n = 53]), completed relational (hippocampal-dependent) and item (hippocampal-independent) memory tasks, and performance was assessed with both direct (behavioral accuracy) and indirect (preferential disproportionate viewing [PDV]) measures. Adiposity (%whole body fat mass, subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue, visceral adipose tissue, and total abdominal adipose tissue) was assessed using DXA. Backward regressions identified significant (P <0.05) predictive models of memory performance. Covariates included age, sex, pubertal timing, socioeconomic status, IQ, oxygen consumption (VO2max), and body mass index (BMI) z-score. Results Among overweight/obese children, total abdominal adipose tissue was a significant negative predictor of relational memory behavioral accuracy, and pubertal timing together with socioeconomic status jointly predicted the PDV measure of relational memory. In contrast, among non-overweight children, male sex predicted item memory behavioral accuracy, and a model consisting of socioeconomic status and BMI z-score jointly predicted the PDV measure of relational memory. Conclusions Regional, and not whole body, fat deposition was selectively and negatively associated with hippocampal-dependent relational memory among overweight/obese prepubertal children. PMID:25454939

  6. Obesity, fitness and health in Taiwanese children and adolescents.

    PubMed

    Chen, L J; Fox, K R; Haase, A; Wang, J M

    2006-12-01

    To examine the prevalence of childhood and adolescent obesity in Taiwan and investigate the association between excess weight and physical fitness and blood pressure. Cross-sectional study. A total of 13 935 children and adolescents aged 6-18 years (boys: 7031, girls: 6904) were involved in the 1999 survey and 24 586 (boys: 12 367, girls: 12 219) were available in the 2001 survey. Weight, height, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and health-related fitness tests (bent-leg curl-ups, sit-and-reach test and step test) were measured. The overall prevalence of obesity (including overweight) in boys was 19.8% in 1999 and 26.8% in 2001. It was lower in girls with 15.2% in 1999 and 16.5% in 2001. The normal weight group performed better (P<0.05) than the overweight/obese group in all fitness tests except in the 2001 sit-and-reach test where there were no differences between the two groups. The risk of hypertension increased nearly two times for the overweight/obese-fit group and nearly three times for the overweight/obese-unfit group compared to the normal weight-fit group (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=1.93, 95%CI=1.514-2.451 and AOR=2.93, 95%CI=2.493-3.454, respectively). Overall, the findings demonstrated that there is an increasing trend in overweight/obesity prevalence for Taiwanese youth even in a 2-year period. The overweight/obese youngsters tend to have poorer muscular strength and cardiovascular endurance than the normal weight group. The overweight/obese and unfit group had a greater risk of hypertension than other groups. However, this risk was significantly lower if obese/overweight children had a higher than average level of cardiovascular fitness.

  7. Higher risk for obesity among Mexican-American and Mexican immigrant children and adolescents than among peers in Mexico.

    PubMed

    Hernández-Valero, María A; Bustamante-Montes, L Patricia; Hernández, Mike; Halley-Castillo, Elizabeth; Wilkinson, Anna V; Bondy, Melissa L; Olvera, Norma

    2012-08-01

    We conducted a cross-sectional study among 1,717 children and adolescents of Mexican origin ages 5-19 years living in Mexico and Texas to explore the influence of country of birth and country of longest residence on their overweight and obesity status. Descriptive statistics were used to compare demographic and anthropometric characteristics of participants born and raised in Mexico (Mexicans), born in Mexico and raised in the United States (Mexican immigrants), and born and raised in the United States (Mexican-Americans). Univariate and multivariate nominal logistic regression was used to determine the demographic predictors of obesity adjusted by country of birth, country of residence, age, and gender. Almost half (48.8%) of the Mexican-Americans and 43.2% of the Mexican immigrants had body mass index at the 85th percentile or above, compared to only 29.3% of the Mexicans (P < .001). Thus, Mexican-Americans and Mexican immigrants were more likely to be obese than their Mexican peers [Mexican-Americans: odds ratio (OR) = 2.5 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.8-3.4); Mexican immigrants: OR = 2.2 (95% CI 1.6-3.0)]. In addition, males were more likely than females to be obese [OR = 1.6 (95% CI 1.2-2.1)], and adolescents 15-19 years of age were less likely than their younger counterparts [OR = 0.5 (95% CI 0.4-0.7)] to be obese. The high prevalence of obesity among children of Mexican origin in the United States is of great concern and underscores the urgent need to develop and implement obesity preventive interventions targeting younger children of Mexican origin, especially newly arrived immigrant children. In addition, future obesity research should take into consideration the country of origin of the study population to develop more culturally specific obesity interventions.

  8. Molecular screening of the ghrelin gene in Italian obese children: the Leu72Met variant is associated with an earlier onset of obesity.

    PubMed

    Miraglia del Giudice, E; Santoro, N; Cirillo, G; Raimondo, P; Grandone, A; D'Aniello, A; Di Nardo, M; Perrone, L

    2004-03-01

    To test whether ghrelin variants could play a role in modulating some aspects of the obese phenotype during childhood. We screened the ghrelin gene in 300 Italian obese children and adolescents (mean age 10.5+/-3.2 y; range 4-19 y) and 200 controls by using the single-strand conformation polymorphism and the restriction fragment length polymoprhism analysis. No mutations were detected with the exception of two previously described polymorphisms, Arg51Gln and Leu72Met. For both variations, allelic frequencies were similar between patients and controls. Interestingly, we showed that the Leu72Met polymorphism was associated with differences in the age at obesity onset. Patients with the Met72 allele became obese earlier than homozygous patients for the wild Leu72 allele. The logrank test comparing the plots of the complement of Kaplan-Meier estimates between the two groups of patients was statistically significant (P<0.0001). It is unlikely that ghrelin variations cause the obesity due to single-gene mutations. The Leu72Met polymorphism of the ghrelin gene seems to play a role in anticipating the onset of obesity among children suggesting, therefore, that ghrelin may be involved in the pathophysiology of human adiposity.

  9. Proficiency deficiency: mastery of fundamental movement skills and skill components in overweight and obese children.

    PubMed

    Cliff, Dylan P; Okely, Anthony D; Morgan, Philip J; Jones, Rachel A; Steele, Julie R; Baur, Louise A

    2012-05-01

    The purpose of this observational study was to compare the mastery of 12 fundamental movement skills (FMS) and skill components between a treatment-seeking sample of overweight/obese children and a reference sample from the United States. Mastery of six locomotor and six object-control skills (24 components in each subdomain) were video-assessed by one assessor using the test of gross motor development-2 (TGMD-2). The 153 overweight/obese children (mean ± s.d. age = 8.3 ± 1.1 years, BMI z-score = 2.78 ± 0.69, 58% girls, 77% obese) were categorized into age groups (for the underhand roll and strike: 7-8 years and 9-10 years; all other FMS: 6-7 years and 8-10 years) and mastery prevalence rates were compared with representative US data (N = 876) using χ(2) analysis. For all 12 skills in all age groups, the prevalence of mastery was lower among overweight/obese children compared with the reference sample (all P < 0.05). This was consistent for 18 locomotor and upto 21 object-control skill components (all P < 0.05). Differences were largest for the run, slide, hop, dribble, and kick. Specific movement patterns that could be targeted for improvement include positioning of the body and feet, the control or release of an object at an optimal position, and better use of the arms to maintain effective force production during the performance of FMS. Physical activity programs designed for overweight and obese children may need to address deficiencies in FMS proficiency to foster the movement capabilities required for participation in health-enhancing physical activity.

  10. The association of parental obesity with physical activity and sedentary behaviors of their children: the CASPIAN-V study.

    PubMed

    Angoorani, Pooneh; Heshmat, Ramin; Ejtahed, Hanieh-Sadat; Motlagh, Mohammad Esmaeil; Ziaodini, Hasan; Taheri, Majzoubeh; Aminaee, Tahereh; Shafiee, Gita; Godarzi, Azam; Qorbani, Mostafa; Kelishadi, Roya

    2017-11-07

    Low physical activity and sedentary behaviors, two important determinants of childhood obesity, may be influenced by parental lifestyle and weight status. This study aims to determine the association of parental weight status with children's physical activity and screen time. This study was conducted on 14,440 Iranian schools students, aged 7-18 years, and one of their parents, who participated in the large national school-based surveillance program. The children's screen-based and physical activities were evaluated based on the World Health Organization's Global School Student Health Survey. Children and parental height, weight, and waist circumference were measured using standardized methods. Overall, 14,274 students and one of their parents completed the survey (participation rate: 99%). Mean (standard deviation) age of students was 12.3 (3.2) years, and the prevalence of low physical activity and high screen time was 58.2% and 17.7%, respectively. In multivariate model, the parental general obesity and abdominal obesity increased the odds of children having low physical activity, by 21% and 13%, respectively. Parental overweight, general obesity, and abdominal obesity increased the odds of the combination of low physical activity/high screen time in children by 33%, 26%, and 20%, respectively. This study showed that parental obesity was associated with increased screen-based activities and low physical activity in children. Focus on parental weight status, as an important factor influenced by their lifestyle, can be helpful for preventing sedentary behaviors in their children. Copyright © 2017 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  11. Body posture in children with obesity - the relationship to physical activity (PA).

    PubMed

    Brzęk, Anna; Sołtys, Jacek; Gallert-Kopyto, Weronika; Gwizdek, Katarzyna; Plinta, Ryszard

    2016-01-01

    The modern world of electronic devices offers children and young people various forms of leisure activities, while reducing the need for natural movement, necessary for normal psychomotor development. Sedentary life contributes to an increased body weight and, thereby, to the development of body posture abnormalities. The aim of the study was to evaluate body posture, leisure activities, and the number of hours spent using electronic devices among children with obesity. The study involved 51 children with obesity (BMI above 95 percentile) - A group, and 69 children with normal body weight at the age of 9-13 years (10.98 ± 1.29) - B group (control). Body posture has been evaluated with the scoliometer, the digital inclinometer and the plumb line. The hump ratio has been calculated on the basis of SOSORT recommendations. Time spent in front of electronic devices based on a questionnaire results has also been calculated. Children with obesity have more body posture defects in the sagittal plane than children with normal z-scores (p<0.001). 46.8% of children in group A have distorted depth of the two curvatures of the spine. In the control group, the majority of deviations have been observed in the evaluation of the ATR (Angle Trunk Rotation) at the lumbar spine (p<0.05), while in group A, at the level of the thoracic spine (40.42% vs. 23.07%). Both groups of respondents use electronic devices at least 3 days a week (p>0.05). Obese children often use mobile devices, while children with normal body weight often use desktop equipment. Definitely more body posture abnormalities are found in the group of obese children. Children use electronic devices regardless of weight. It is worth to expand educational activities with programs that improve the quality of body posture through a daily change of abnormal patterns. © Polish Society for Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology.

  12. Insulin resistance and its association with the components of the metabolic syndrome among obese children and adolescents.

    PubMed

    Juárez-López, Carlos; Klünder-Klünder, Miguel; Medina-Bravo, Patricia; Madrigal-Azcárate, Adrián; Mass-Díaz, Eliezer; Flores-Huerta, Samuel

    2010-06-07

    Insulin resistance is the primary metabolic disorder associated with obesity; yet little is known about its role as a determinant of the metabolic syndrome in obese children. The aim of this study is to assess the association between the degree of insulin resistance and the different components of the metabolic syndrome among obese children and adolescents. An analytical, cross-sectional and population-based study was performed in forty-four public primary schools in Campeche City, Mexico. A total of 466 obese children and adolescents between 11-13 years of age were recruited. Fasting glucose and insulin concentrations, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressures were measured; insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome were also evaluated. Out of the total population studied, 69% presented low values of high density lipoprotein cholesterol, 49% suffered from abdominal obesity, 29% had hypertriglyceridemia, 8% presented high systolic and 13% high diastolic blood pressure, 4% showed impaired fasting glucose, 51% presented insulin resistance and 20% metabolic syndrome. In spite of being obese, 13% of the investigated population did not present any metabolic disorder. For each one of the components of the metabolic syndrome, when insulin resistance increased so did odds ratios as cardiometabolic risk factors. Regardless of age and gender an increased degree of insulin resistance is associated with a higher prevalence of disorders in each of the components of the metabolic syndrome and with a heightened risk of suffering metabolic syndrome among obese children and adolescents.

  13. Low muscle mass--tall and obese children a special genre of obesity.

    PubMed

    Ralt, Dina

    2007-01-01

    The prevalence of over-weight and obesity has increased markedly in the last two decades and vast international resources have been directed toward researching these issues. Obesity would appear to be a problem that is easy to resolve: just eat less and move more. However, this very common condition has turned out to be extremely troublesome, and in some cases even insolvable. A perspective is presented here suggesting that some of the insoluble cases of obesity are the result of an inborn condition of a very low muscle mass. The interplay between less muscle and more fat tissue is discussed from physiological and environmental perspectives with an emphasis on the early years of childhood. It is proposed that these interactions lead to bodily economic decisions sliding between thrift or prodigal strategies. The thrift strategy results not only in obesity and less physical activity but also in other maladies which the body is unable to manage. What leads to obesity (less muscle, more fat) in the medial population will result in morbid obesity when the children are short of muscle tissue from the start. Attempts to lessen the consequences of low muscle mass, which might be very difficult at adulthood, can be more fruitful if initiated at childhood. Early recognition of the ailment is thus crucial. Based on studies demonstrating a 'rivalry' between muscle build-up and height growth at childhood, it is postulated that among the both taller and more obese children the percentage of children with lower muscle mass will be significant. A survey of the height and BMI (Body Mass Index) of Israeli fifth graders supports this postulation. A special, body/muscle-building gymnastics program for children is suggested as a potential early intervention to partially prevent this type of almost irreversible ill progress of obesity.

  14. [Overweight, obesity and chronic mal nutrition in 6 to 9 year-old children in Peru, 2009-2010].

    PubMed

    Pajuelo-Ramírez, Jaime; Sánchez-Abanto, José; Alvarez-Dongo, Doris; Tarqui-Mamani, Carolina; Agüero-Zamora, Rosa

    2013-01-01

    To determine the prevalence of overweight, obesity and chronic malnutrition in 6- to 9-year-old children in Peru. A cross-cutting study based on the 2009-2010 National Household Survey. The size/age ratio was analyzed with references of the National Center for Health Statistic (NCSH) and the World Health Organization (WHO), considering less than two standard deviations for chronic malnutrition (CM); and the Must and WHO reference tables to measure the body mass index with 85 to 95 percentile values for overweight and above 95 for obesity. With Must as reference, overweight was 12.1% and obesity 9.4%, and according to WHO overweight and obesity were 10.2 and 11.3% respectively. The prevalence of CM according to NCSH and WHO is 15.4 and 17.8% respectively. The highest prevalence of CM is in the north (25.2%), center (22.9%) and south of (19%) the Highland, while obesity is more present in the south coast (28%), Metropolitan Lima (22.8%) and the central Coast (22.5%). Of all the children with CM, 6.5% has overweight and 1.2% obesity. CM is decreasing because size averages have improved, however obesity has doubled. The presence of CM and obesity in children aged 6 to 9 years old in different regions of Peru poses a challenge in the planning of food and nutrition policies.

  15. Ethnic Differences in Lipid Profiles of Overweight, Obese, and Severely Obese Children and Adolescents 6-19 Years of Age.

    PubMed

    Dhuper, Sarita; Bayoumi, Nagla S; Shah, Yash D; Mehta, Shilpa

    2017-06-01

    Ethnic differences in lipid profiles exist in children and adolescents. This study assessed whether variations in lipid profiles present in overweight and obese youth were also observed in severely obese youth. Variations could explain the lower prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in certain ethnic groups at even severe levels of obesity. Data were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for the years of 2001 through 2012. Subjects were divided into groups according to BMI classification. Normal weight was defined as a BMI less than the 85th percentile. Overweight was defined as a BMI between the 85th and 95th percentile. Class 1 obesity was defined as a BMI greater than the 95th percentile up to 120% of the 95th percentile. A BMI between 120% and 140% of the 95th percentile was defined as Class 2 obesity. Class 3 was defined as a BMI above 140% of the 95th percentile. Primary outcomes were mean total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein levels (HDL). The sample included 14,481 non-Hispanic black (NHB) (N = 4710), non-Hispanic white (N = 4910), and Mexican American (N = 4861) subjects. Across all BMI categories, the NHB group had significantly lower mean TG and higher mean HDL levels (p < 0.0001). Ethnic variations in lipid profiles were found in severely obese youth. These findings could explain the lower prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in NHB youth. Ethnic-specific guidelines are necessary for improved identification of those at risk at all levels of obesity.

  16. Open-loop feedback to increase physical activity in obese children.

    PubMed

    Goldfield, G S; Kalakanis, L E; Ernst, M M; Epstein, L H

    2000-07-01

    The present study investigated whether making access to sedentary activities contingent on physical activity would increase physical activity. Experimental. Thirty-four obese children aged 8-12 y were randomized to one of three groups in which children had to accumulate 750 or 1500 pedometer counts to earn 10 min of access to video games or movies, or to a control group in which access to sedentary behaviors was provided noncontingently. Physical activity in the 20 min experimental session was measured by electronic pedometer and triaxial accelerometer (ie TriTrac(R)). Activity liking was measured by visual analog scales. Anthropometric and demographic characteristics were also assessed. Children in the 750 and 1500 count contingency groups engaged in significantly more physical activity and spent more time in moderate intensity activity or higher compared with controls. Children in the Contingent 1500 group engaged in more activity and spent more time in moderate or greater intensity activity compared to children in the Contingent 750 group. Findings suggest that contingent access to sedentary activities can reinforce physical activity in obese children, and changes in physical activity level depend in part on the targeted physical activity goal.

  17. Personal Variation in Preference for Sweetness: Effects of Age and Obesity.

    PubMed

    Bobowski, Nuala; Mennella, Julie A

    2017-10-01

    Use of nonnutritive sweeteners (NNSs), which provide sweet taste with few to no calories, has increased, but data on whether children's hedonic responses to NNSs differ from nutritive sugars or from adults' hedonic responses are limited. Most preferred levels of sucrose and the NNS sucralose were determined via a forced-choice tracking procedure in 48 children, 7-14 years (mean = 10 years), and 34 adults. Each participant also rated the liking of these taste stimuli, as well as varying concentrations of aspartame on 3- and 5-point facial hedonic scales. Anthropometric measures were obtained, and motives for palatable food intake were assessed with the Palatable Eating Motives Scale (PEMS, adults) and Kids PEMS. While use of the 3-point scale showed no age-related differences in liking of sweeteners, the 5-point scale showed that more children than adults liked higher concentrations of sucrose, sucralose, and aspartame, and the tracking procedure showed that children most preferred higher concentrations of sucrose and sucralose than adults. Regardless of age, sweet preference did not differ between obese and nonobese participants and showed no association with motives for eating palatable foods. Children's body mass index z-scores were positively associated with social and conformity motive scores for eating palatable foods. Research should move beyond measures of variation in sweet taste hedonics to include identifying motives, and the physiological and psychological consequences of eating sweets, to shed light on what children are more vulnerable to develop unfavorable eating habits, increasing risk for obesity, and other diseases.

  18. Hip-Hop to Health Jr., an obesity prevention program for minority preschool children: baseline characteristics of participants.

    PubMed

    Stolley, Melinda R; Fitzgibbon, Marian L; Dyer, Alan; Van Horn, Linda; KauferChristoffel, Katherine; Schiffer, Linda

    2003-03-01

    The prevalence of obesity in the United States is a significant public health problem. Many obesity-related risk factors are more prevalent in minority populations. Given the recalcitrant nature of weight loss interventions for adults, prevention of overweight and obesity has become a high priority. The present study reports baseline data from an obesity prevention intervention developed for minority preschool children. Hip-Hop to Health Jr. is a 5-year randomized controlled intervention that targets 3- to 5-year-old minority children enrolled in 24 Head Start programs. Our primary aim is to test the effect of the intervention on change in body mass index. Data were collected on sociodemographic, anthropometric, behavioral, and cognitive variables for the children and parents at baseline. Participants included 416 black children, 337 black parents, 362 Latino children, and 309 Latino parents. Using body mass index for age and sex > or = the 95th percentile as the definition of overweight, 15% of the black children and 28% of the Latino children were overweight. More than 75% of the parents were either overweight or obese. The development of interventions to effectively prevent or control obesity early in life is crucial. These data highlight the escalating problem of weight control in minority populations.

  19. Passive Smoke Exposure and Its Effects on Cognition, Sleep, and Health Outcomes in Overweight and Obese Children.

    PubMed

    Davis, Catherine L; Tingen, Martha S; Jia, Jenny; Sherman, Forrest; Williams, Celestine F; Bhavsar, Kruti; Wood, Nancy; Kobleur, Jessica; Waller, Jennifer L

    2016-04-01

    Passive smoke exposure (PSE) may be a risk factor for childhood overweight and obesity and is associated with worse neurocognitive development, cognition, and sleep in children. The purpose of the study is to examine the effects of PSE on adiposity, cognition, and sleep in overweight and obese children using an objective measure of PSE. Overweight or obese children (n = 222) aged 7-11 (9.4 ± 1.1 years; 58% black; 58% female; 85% obese) were recruited from schools near Augusta, Georgia, over the course of the school year from 2003-2006 for a clinical trial, with data analyzed in 2009-2010. Passive smoke exposure was measured with plasma cotinine. Health, cognitive, and sleep measures and parent report of smoke exposure were obtained. Overweight and obese children with PSE had greater overall and central adiposity than nonexposed overweight and obese children (p < 0.03). However, PSE was unrelated to prediabetes, insulin resistance, or visceral fat. PSE was linked to poorer cognitive scores (p < 0.04) independent of adiposity, but was not related to sleep-disordered breathing. PSE is associated with fatness and poorer cognition in children. Tailored interventions that target multiple health risk factors including nutrition, physical activity, and tobacco use in children and families are needed to prevent adverse health outcomes related to tobacco use and obesity.

  20. Thresholds of physical activity associated with obesity by level of sedentary behaviour in children.

    PubMed

    Chaput, J-P; Barnes, J D; Tremblay, M S; Fogelholm, M; Hu, G; Lambert, E V; Maher, C; Maia, J; Olds, T; Onywera, V; Sarmiento, O L; Standage, M; Tudor-Locke, C; Katzmarzyk, P T

    2018-03-24

    It is unknown whether moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) thresholds for obesity should be adapted depending on level of sedentary behaviour in children. The objective of the study is to determine the MVPA thresholds that best discriminate between obese and non-obese children, by level of screen time and total sedentary time in 12 countries. This multinational, cross-sectional study included 6522 children 9-11 years of age. MVPA and sedentary time were assessed using waist-worn accelerometry, while screen time was self-reported. Obesity was defined according to the World Health Organization reference data. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses showed that the best thresholds of MVPA to predict obesity ranged from 53.8 to 73.9 min d -1 in boys and from 41.7 to 58.7 min d -1 in girls, depending on the level of screen time. The MVPA cut-offs to predict obesity ranged from 37.9 to 75.9 min d -1 in boys and from 32.5 to 62.7 min d -1 in girls, depending on the level of sedentary behaviour. The areas under the curve ranged from 0.57 to 0.73 ('fail' to 'fair' accuracy), and most sensitivity and specificity values were below 85%, similar to MVPA alone. Country-specific analyses provided similar findings. The addition of sedentary behaviour levels to MVPA did not result in a better predictive ability to classify children as obese/non-obese compared with MVPA alone. © 2018 World Obesity Federation.

  1. Effect of obesity and lifestyle on the oral health of pre adolescent children.

    PubMed

    Anand, Nithya; Suresh, M; Chandrasekaran, S C

    2014-02-01

    Worldwide estimates of childhood obesity are as high as 43 million, and rates continue to increase each year. Childhood obesity is a growing problem in the present era and it causes serious consequences in the later years. In today's society, electronic media have been thoroughly integrated into the fabric of life, with television, video games, and computers being central to both work and play. While these media outlets can provide education and entertainment to children, many researches are concerned with the negative impact of electronic media on children. The current study aimed to evaluate the correlation, as to how oral hygiene and periodontal health were influenced by obesity and lifestyle factors, among pre-adolescents of ages of 9-12 years. This study was conducted in schools located around Velachery, Chennai, India. A total of 426 children of age group of 9-12 years were selected. Information on their socio-economic, dietary, oral health statuses and time spent in leisure activities were assessed by using a questionnaire, followed by BMI estimation and these variables were correlated with their oral hygiene statuses. The prevalence of poor oral hygiene and poor dietary habits was observed in children who spent more time in watching television, playing videogames and using computer. Good oral hygiene was observed in children who had visited dentists in the past. There is a strong association of lifestyle factors with oral hygiene in pre-adolescent children. Sedentary lifestyle, with more leisure activities, has a negative impact on the oral health of children.

  2. Atopy, but not obesity is associated with asthma severity among children with persistent asthma.

    PubMed

    Lu, Kim D; Phipatanakul, Wanda; Perzanowski, Matthew S; Balcer-Whaley, Susan; Matsui, Elizabeth C

    2016-12-01

    Obesity is associated with an increased risk of asthma in children. Atopic sensitization is a major risk factor for asthma including severe asthma in children. It is unclear if obesity is associated with worse asthma control or severity in children and how its effects compare to atopy. We sought to examine relationships of weight status and atopy to asthma control and severity among a population of predominantly low income, minority children and adolescents with persistent asthma. A cross-sectional analysis of 832 children and adolescents, age range 5-17 years, with persistent asthma was performed. Clinical assessments included asthma questionnaires of symptoms, asthma severity score, health care utilization and medication treatment step, lung function testing, and skin prick testing as well as measures of adiposity. Data were collected between December 2010 and August 2014 from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD and Children's Hospital of Boston, MA. Obesity was not associated with worse asthma control or severity in this group of predominantly low income, minority children and adolescents with persistent asthma. However, a greater degree of atopy was associated with lower lung function, higher asthma severity score, and higher medication treatment step. Atopy may be a more important risk factor for asthma severity than obesity among low-income minority children and adolescents with persistent asthma living in Northeastern cities in the United States.

  3. Dietary diversity scores: an indicator of micronutrient inadequacy instead of obesity for Chinese children.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Wenzhi; Yu, Kai; Tan, Shengjie; Zheng, Yingdong; Zhao, Ai; Wang, Peiyu; Zhang, Yumei

    2017-05-12

    Micronutrient malnutrition affects the well-being of both adults and children. Dietary diversity score (DDS) is a useful evaluation index with a relatively well-developed guideline by FAO. It's meaningful to assess and predict inadequate micronutrient intakes using DDS in Chinese children, after ruling out the risk of obesity coming with more dietary diversity. Data for evaluation were extracted from the Nutrition Study of Preschool Children and School Children, which is a cross-sectional study covering 8 cities of China, including 1694 children in kindergartens and primary schools. This study applied DDS to Chinese children to test the validity for micronutrient inadequacy, and then explored the relationship between dietary diversity and obesity. It reveals that dietary diversity varied with age and place of residence; the older ones and the ones living in rural areas tend to have poorer dietary diversity. Another discovery is that DDS is positively correlated with indicators of micronutrient adequacy, with a score of 6-8 indicating the lowest risk of micronutrient inadequacy in different groups of children. In our study population, dietary diversity is not related with obesity. Dietary diversity score is a valid indicator to evaluate micronutrient inadequacy in Chinese children, though there is still room for improvement of the method. Besides, the relationship between increase of dietary diversity and risk of obesity should be treated circumspectly.

  4. Bullying and Victimization in Overweight and Obese Outpatient Children and Adolescents: An Italian Multicentric Study

    PubMed Central

    Garrasi, Alessandra; Corciulo, Nicola; Driul, Daniela; Tanas, Rita; Fiumani, Perla Maria; Di Pietro, Elena; Pesce, Sabino; Crinò, Antonino; Maltoni, Giulio; Iughetti, Lorenzo; Sartorio, Alessandro; Deiana, Manuela; Lombardi, Francesca

    2015-01-01

    Objective Being overweight or obese is one of the most common reasons that children and adolescents are teased at school. We carried out a study in order to investigate: i) the relation between weight status and school bullying and ii) the relation between weight status categories and types of victimization and bullying in an outpatient sample of Italian children and adolescents with different degrees of overweight from minimal overweight up to severe obesity. Participants/Methods Nine-hundred-forty-seven outpatient children and adolescents (age range 6.0–14.0 years) were recruited in 14 hospitals distributed over the country of Italy. The participants were classified as normal-weight (N = 129), overweight (N = 126), moderately obese (N = 568), and severely obese (N = 124). The nature and extent of verbal, physical and relational bullying and victimization were assessed with an adapted version of the revised Olweus bully-victim questionnaire. Each participant was coded as bully, victim, bully-victim, or not involved. Results Normal-weight and overweight participants were less involved in bullying than obese participants; severely obese males were more involved in the double role of bully and victim. Severely obese children and adolescents suffered not only from verbal victimization but also from physical victimization and exclusion from group activities. Weight status categories were not directly related to bullying behaviour; however severely obese males perpetrated more bullying behaviour compared to severely obese females. Conclusions Obesity and bullying among children and adolescents are of ongoing concern worldwide and may be closely related. Common strategies of intervention are needed to cope with these two social health challenges. PMID:26606393

  5. Prevalence of overweight and obesity among children aged 2-5 years in Bahrain: a comparison between two reference standards.

    PubMed

    Al-Raees, Ghada Y; Al-Amer, Maryam A; Musaiger, Abdulrahman O; D'Souza, Reshma

    2009-01-01

    A cross-sectional study was carried out on Bahraini preschoolers aged 2-5 years (354 males and 344 females) to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity using the World Health Organization and the International Obesity Task Force cut-off values. Weight and height were recorded and body mass index (BMI) was calculated to determine the proportion of overweight and obesity. Using the World Health Organization percentile cut-off values, overweight (12.3%) and obesity (8.4%) was higher in females between 2 and <4 years of age whereas, the proportion of both overweight (8.4%) and obesity (7.2%) were higher in males between 4 and <6 years of age. Relative to the International Obesity Task Force indicators, the World Health Organization cut-off values produced nearly a 2-fold increase in both overweight and obesity at most ages. It is therefore important to ensure that the same cut-off reference values are used to define overweight and obesity particularly in preschoolers. Shifting to the new World Health Organization child growth standards may have important implications for child health programmes.

  6. Obesity and Airway Dysanapsis in Children with and without Asthma.

    PubMed

    Forno, Erick; Weiner, Daniel J; Mullen, James; Sawicki, Gregory; Kurland, Geoffrey; Han, Yueh Ying; Cloutier, Michelle M; Canino, Glorisa; Weiss, Scott T; Litonjua, Augusto A; Celedón, Juan C

    2017-02-01

    For unclear reasons, obese children with asthma have higher morbidity and reduced response to inhaled corticosteroids. To assess whether childhood obesity is associated with airway dysanapsis (an incongruence between the growth of the lungs and the airways) and whether dysanapsis is associated with asthma morbidity. We examined the relationship between obesity and dysanapsis in six cohorts of children with and without asthma, as well as the relationship between dysanapsis and clinical outcomes in children with asthma. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for each cohort and in a combined analysis of all cohorts; longitudinal analyses were also performed for cohorts with available data. Hazard ratios (HRs) for clinical outcomes were calculated for children with asthma in the Childhood Asthma Management Program. Being overweight or obese was associated with dysanapsis in both the cross-sectional (OR, 1.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.62-2.35 [for overweight/obese compared with normal weight children]) and the longitudinal (OR, 4.31; 95% CI, 2.99-6.22 [for children who were overweight/obese at all visits compared with normal weight children]) analyses. Dysanapsis was associated with greater lung volumes (FVC, vital capacity, and total lung capacity) and lesser flows (FEV 1 and forced expiratory flow, midexpiratory phase), and with indicators of ventilation inhomogeneity and anisotropic lung and airway growth. Among overweight/obese children with asthma, dysanapsis was associated with severe disease exacerbations (HR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.38-2.75) and use of systemic steroids (HR, 3.22; 95% CI, 2.02-5.14). Obesity is associated with airway dysanapsis in children. Dysanapsis is associated with increased morbidity among obese children with asthma and may partly explain their reduced response to inhaled corticosteroids.

  7. Mobility Status as a Predictor of Obesity, Physical Activity, and Screen Time Use among Children Aged 5-11 Years in the United States.

    PubMed

    Wilson, Patrick B; Haegele, Justin A; Zhu, Xihe

    2016-09-01

    To examine physical activity participation, screen time habits, and the prevalence of overweight/obesity among children in the general population with mobility limitations and those enrolled in special education services. An observational, cross-sectional analysis of the 2011-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a representative sample of the US population. Mobility limitations, special education services utilization, proxy-reported physical activity and screen time, and overweight/obesity status were assessed in children aged 5-11 years. Boys with mobility limitations were less likely to meet physical activity guidelines (≥60 minutes daily) compared with those with no limitations (58.1% vs 74.4%, adjusted F = 4.61, P = .04). In a logistic regression model, boys with mobility limitations had significantly lower odds (0.42, 95% CI 0.20-0.86) of meeting physical activity guidelines. The prevalence of children meeting screen time recommendations (≤2 hours daily) among those receiving special education services (42.4%) was lower than children not receiving services (53.2%; adjusted F = 8.87, P < .01). In a logistic regression model, children receiving special education services showed a trend toward significantly lower odds (0.74, 95% CI 0.54-1.03, P = .07) of meeting screen time recommendations. No statistically significant differences for overweight/obesity were found. Clear differences were present in physical activity between boys with and without mobility limitations. Furthermore, children receiving special education services demonstrated a lower likelihood of meeting screen time recommendations. Children with disabilities may benefit from targeted interventions aimed at increasing physical activity while decreasing screen time. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Maternal prepregnancy obesity is an independent risk factor for frequent wheezing in infants by age 14 months.

    PubMed

    Guerra, Stefano; Sartini, Claudio; Mendez, Michelle; Morales, Eva; Guxens, Mònica; Basterrechea, Mikel; Arranz, Leonor; Sunyer, Jordi

    2013-01-01

    Maternal prepregnancy obesity has been linked to the offspring's risk for subsequent asthma. We determined whether maternal obesity is associated with increased risk of wheezing phenotypes early in life. We used data on 1107 mother-child pairs from two birth cohorts from the INMA-INfancia y Medio Ambiente project. Maternal height was measured and prepregnancy weight self-reported at enrolment (on average at 13.7 ± 2 weeks of gestation). Maternal prepregnancy body mass index was categorised as underweight, normal, overweight and obese according to WHO recommendations. Information on child's wheezing was obtained through questionnaires up to the age of 14 (± 1) months. Wheezing was classified as infrequent (<4 reported wheezing episodes) or frequent (≥ 4 episodes). Weight and length of infants were measured by trained study staff at 14.6 (± 1) months of age and weight-for-length z-scores computed. Although maternal obesity did not increase the risk of the child to have any or infrequent wheezing, children of obese mothers were more likely to have frequent wheezing than children of normal-weight mothers (11.8% vs. 3.8%; P = 0.002). In fully adjusted multinomial logistic regression models, including infants' weight-for-length z-scores and other covariates, maternal prepregnancy obesity was associated with increased risk of frequent [adjusted relative risk (RR) 4.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.55, 11.3] but not infrequent (RR 1.05 [95% CI 0.55, 2.01]) wheezing in their children. Maternal prepregnancy obesity is independently associated with an increased risk of frequent wheezing in the infant by the age of 14 months. These findings add evidence on the potential effects of in utero exposures on asthma-related phenotypes. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  9. Stressed hearts in children with obesity and diabetes: a cause for concern?

    PubMed

    Berry, C; Sattar, N

    2011-04-01

    Obesity in young people is an emerging public health problem, particularly because of its association with type 2 diabetes. Since obesity and diabetes contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease in adults, the question arises as to whether or not these conditions may be associated with cardiovascular abnormalities in children and adolescents. In this issue of Diabetologia, Shah et al. report the results of a cross-sectional study of heart structure and function in 612 adolescents and young adults (aged 10-24 years) subdivided into three groups: (1) those with obesity and type 2 diabetes; (2) those with type 2 diabetes but without obesity; and (3) lean healthy controls. Their results revealed that left ventricular mass (indexed to body surface area) was greater in the obese individuals than in lean controls. Left ventricular systolic function was more dynamic in obese participants and obese participants with type 2 diabetes compared with lean controls, whereas systolic function was comparable in obese patients with or without type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, compared with the healthy lean control participants, diastolic function was impaired in the obese group and further impaired in the obese individuals with diabetes. These results, and those of a few other similar studies, lend support to the notion that obesity and diabetes in children cause subtle abnormalities in cardiovascular structure and function. The present commentary discusses potential mechanisms and possible clinical ramifications for such findings.

  10. Impact of the Fukushima nuclear accident on obesity of children in Japan (2008-2014).

    PubMed

    Yamamura, Eiji

    2016-05-01

    This study used prefecture-level panel data from Japan for the period 2008-2014 to investigate the influence of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident on the body mass index (BMI) z-score and obesity rates of children over time. I adopted a difference-in-differences approach and found the following: (1) for the cohort aged 5-7 years in 2010, the BMI z-score and obesity rates in disaster-affected areas were higher than in other areas, although this was not observed for the other cohorts; (2) for the cohort aged 5-7 years in 2010, the influence of the accident persisted even after 3 years; and (3) the differences in the BMI z-score and obesity rate before and after the accident were greater for Fukushima Prefecture than for the other affected areas (Iwate and Miyagi prefectures). I infer that health-conscious parents, whose children had lower BMIs, may have moved from Fukushima, thereby increasing the BMI z-score of the child population living in Fukushima by around 0.05 for the cohort aged 5-7 years. The enforced reduction in physical activity increased the BMI z-score of children living in Fukushima by around 0.19 for that cohort. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Nutritional interventions or exposures in infants and children aged up to 3 years and their effects on subsequent risk of overweight, obesity and body fat: a systematic review of systematic reviews.

    PubMed

    Patro-Gołąb, Bernadeta; Zalewski, Bartłomiej M; Kołodziej, Maciej; Kouwenhoven, Stefanie; Poston, Lucilla; Godfrey, Keith M; Koletzko, Berthold; van Goudoever, Johannes Bernard; Szajewska, Hania

    2016-12-01

    This study, performed as part of the international EarlyNutrition research project (http://www.project-earlynutrition.eu), provides a systematic review of systematic reviews on the effects of nutritional interventions or exposures in children (up to 3 years of age) on the subsequent risk of obesity, overweight and adiposity. Electronic databases (including MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane Library) were searched up until September 2015. Forty systematic reviews were included. A consistent association of breastfeeding with a modest reduction in the risk of later overweight and obesity in childhood and adulthood was found (the odds decreased by 13% based on high-quality studies), but residual confounding cannot be excluded. Lowering the protein content of infant formula is a promising intervention to reduce the risk of later overweight and obesity in children. There is no consistent evidence of an association of the age of introducing complementary foods, sugar-sweetened beverage or energy intake in early childhood with later overweight/obesity, but there are some indications of an association of protein intake during the complementary feeding period with later overweight/obesity. There was inadequate evidence to determine the effects of other nutritional interventions or exposures, including modifications of infant formula composition, fat intake or consumption of different food groups. © 2016 World Obesity Federation.

  12. The moderating effect of self-efficacy on normal-weight, overweight, and obese children's math achievement: a longitudinal analysis.

    PubMed

    Kranjac, Ashley Wendell

    2015-03-01

    Increased body weight is associated with decreased cognitive function in school-aged children. The role of self-efficacy in shaping the connection between children's educational achievement and obesity-related comorbidities has not been examined to date. Evidence of the predictive ability of self-efficacy in children is demonstrated in cognitive tasks, including math achievement scores. This study examined the relationship between self-efficacy and math achievement in normal weight, overweight, and obese children. I hypothesized that overweight and obese children with higher self-efficacy will be less affected in math achievement than otherwise comparable children with lower self-efficacy. I tested this prediction with multilevel growth modeling techniques using the ECLS-K 1998-1999 survey data, a nationally representative sample of children. Increased self-efficacy moderates the link between body weight and children's math achievement by buffering the risks that increased weight status poses to children's cognitive function. My findings indicate that self-efficacy moderates math outcomes in overweight, but not obese, children. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Prevalence of overweight, obesity and thinness in 9–10 year old children in Mauritius

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Objective To document the prevalence of overweight, obesity and thinness in 9–10 year old children in Mauritius. Methods 412 boys and 429 girls aged 9–10 years from 23 primary schools were selected using stratified cluster random sampling. All data was cross-sectional and collected via anthropometry and self-administered questionnaire. Outcome measures were BMI (kg/m2), prevalence of overweight, obesity (International Obesity Task Force definitions) and thinness (low BMI for age). Linear and logistic regression analyses, accounting for clustering at the school level, were used to assess associations between gender, ethnicity, school location, and school's academic performance (average) to each outcome measure. Results The distribution of BMI was marginally skewed with a more pronounced positive tail in the girls. Median BMI was 15.6 kg/m2 in boys and 15.4 kg/m2 in girls, respectively. In boys, prevalence of overweight was 15.8% (95% CI: 12.6, 19.6), prevalence of obesity 4.9% (95% CI: 3.2, 7.4) and prevalence of thinness 12.4% (95% CI: 9.5, 15.9). Among girls, 18.9% (95% CI: 15.5, 22.9) were overweight, 5.1% (95% CI: 3.4, 7.7) were obese and 13.1% (95% CI: 10.2, 16.6) were thin. Urban children had a slightly higher mean BMI than rural children (0.5 kg/m2, 95% CI: 0.01, 1.00) and were nearly twice as likely to be obese (6.7% vs. 4.0%; adjusted odds ratio 1.6; 95% CI: 0.9, 3.5). Creole children were less likely to be classified as thin compared to Indian children (adjusted odds ratio 0.3, 95% CI: 0.2, 0.6). Conclusion Mauritius is currently in the midst of nutritional transition with both a high prevalence of overweight and thinness in children aged 9–10 years. The coexistence of children representing opposite sides of the energy balance equation presents a unique challenge for policy and interventions. Further exploration is needed to understand the specific causes of the double burden of malnutrition and to make appropriate policy recommendations

  14. Maternal Characteristics and Incidence of Overweight/Obesity in Children: A 13-Year Follow-up Study in an Eastern Mediterranean Population.

    PubMed

    Jalali-Farahani, Sara; Amiri, Parisa; Abbasi, Behnood; Karimi, Mehrdad; Cheraghi, Leila; Daneshpour, Maryam Sadat; Azizi, Fereidoun

    2017-05-01

    Objectives To investigate clustering of parental sociobehavioral factors and their relationship with the incidence of overweight and obesity in Iranian children. Methods Demographics, body weight, and certain medical characteristics of the parents of 2999 children were used to categorize parents by cluster; children's weights were assessed for each cluster. Specifically, survival analysis and Cox regression models were used to test the effect of parental clustering on the incidence of childhood overweight and obesity. Results Maternal metabolic syndrome, education level, age, body weight status, and paternal age had important roles in distinguishing clusters with low, moderate, and high risk. Crude incidence rates (per 10,000 person-years) of overweight and obesity were 416.8 (95% confidence interval (CI) 388.2-447.5) and 114.7 (95% CI 101.2-129.9), respectively. Children of parents with certain constellations of demographic and medical characteristics were 37.0 and 41.0% more likely to become overweight and obese, respectively. Conclusions for Practice The current study demonstrated the vital role of maternal characteristics in distinguishing familial clusters, which could be used to predict the incidence of overweight and obesity in children.

  15. Psychosocial stress and obesity among children residing in Kaunas City.

    PubMed

    Grazuleviciene, Regina; Petraviciene, Inga; Andrusaityte, Sandra; Balseviciene, Birute

    2017-08-01

    An unfavorable psychosocial environment has been associated with an increased prevalence of obesity among children. However, the available evidence on the association of low socioeconomic status and parent-child relationships with childhood obesity is scarce. The aim of our study was to conduct a simultaneous evaluation of the risks associated with pathological mother-child relationships, education level, and overweight/obesity among 4-6 year-old children. This cross-sectional study included 1489 mother-child pairs living in Kaunas city, Lithuania. The Parenting Stress Index was measured using the Parent-Child Dysfunctional Interaction subscale. Children's overweight/obesity was defined as the body mass index ≥18kg/m 2 . Logistic regression models as well as crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to indicate the strength of the associations between childhood overweight/obesity, maternal education level, and psychosocial stress. The percentage of children with overweight/obesity rose with an increasing Parenting Stress Index score. The percentage of children with overweight/obesity in the group of parents with better education and normal mother-child relations was 6.0%, while in the group of less educated parents and pathological mother-child relations, this percentage reached 13.9%. The stratified multivariable model showed that, with reference to the group of better educated parents and normal mother-child relations, lower education level and pathological mother-child relations were statistically significant risk factors for overweight/obesity in 4-6 year-old children, increasing the OR of overweight/obesity (aOR: 2.43; 95% CI: 1.31-4.51). Pathological mother-child relations and maternal smoking mediated the effect of low maternal education level on children's BMI z-scores. Pathological mother-child relations, lower parental education levels, and smoking may be predictors of children's overweight/obesity. Measures

  16. [Non-alcoholic fatty liver in children and adolescents with excess weight and obesity].

    PubMed

    Guijarro de Armas, M Guadalupe; Monereo Megías, Susana; Navea Aguilera, Cristina; Merino Viveros, María; Vega Piñero, M Belén

    2015-01-20

    Hepatic steatosis, also known as non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL), is the most frequent liver disease in obese children. Due to an increase in infantile obesity, it is experiencing a significant increment in incidence. Our objetives are: Estimate the prevalence of NAFL in children with excess weight and obesity using the glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) value as a biochemical test and an abdominal ultrasound, and correlate the presence of hepatic steatosis with various anthropometric and biochemical parameters. Cross-sectional prevalence study which includes children with excess weight and obesity between the ages of 5 and 15 years, between the years 2004-2012. The independent variables included were: age, sex, weight, size, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist size index (WSI), insulinemia, Homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-R), total cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), high density lipoproteins (HDL), low density lipoproteins (LDL), glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), GPT and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT). One hundred and twenty-six patients, with an average age of 11.94 (3.12) years were recruited. A percentage of 19.66 of the patients presented elevated GPT pathology. Of the 126 abdominal ultrasounds performed, 38 patients presented hepatic steatosis (30.15%). The levels of insulinemia, HOMA-R and LDL were significantly higher in patients with altered GPT, compared to those with normal GPT values (P=.015, P=.008 and P=.002, respectively). The patients with an objective HGNA in ultrasound, also showed greater levels of insulinemia, WC, WSI, total cholesterol, TG, LDL, GLT, GPT and GGT than the patients with normal ultrasounds, thereby achieving statistical significance in insulinemia, HOMA-R, LDL and GPT values. NAFL is a relatively frequent disorder in obese children and adolescents. In our study, 2 of 10 children -using GPT- and 3 of every 10 -using abdominal ultrasound- present the same. The biochemical marker

  17. Gut Microbiota Markers in Obese Adolescent and Adult Patients: Age-Dependent Differential Patterns.

    PubMed

    Del Chierico, Federica; Abbatini, Francesca; Russo, Alessandra; Quagliariello, Andrea; Reddel, Sofia; Capoccia, Danila; Caccamo, Romina; Ginanni Corradini, Stefano; Nobili, Valerio; De Peppo, Francesco; Dallapiccola, Bruno; Leonetti, Frida; Silecchia, Gianfranco; Putignani, Lorenza

    2018-01-01

    Obesity levels, especially in children, have dramatically increased over the last few decades. Recently, several studies highlighted the involvement of gut microbiota in the pathophysiology of obesity. We investigated the composition of gut microbiota in obese adolescents and adults compared to age-matched normal weight (NW) volunteers in order to assemble age- and obesity-related microbiota profiles. The composition of gut microbiota was analyzed by 16S rRNA-based metagenomics. Ecological representations of microbial communities were computed, and univariate, multivariate, and correlation analyses performed on bacterial profiles. The prediction of metagenome functional content from 16S rRNA gene surveys was carried out. Ecological analyses revealed a dissimilarity among the subgroups, and resultant microbiota profiles differed between obese adolescents and adults. Using statistical analyses, we assigned, as microbial markers, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Actinomyces to the microbiota of obese adolescents, and Parabacteroides , Rikenellaceae, Bacteroides caccae , Barnesiellaceae, and Oscillospira to the microbiota of NW adolescents. The predicted metabolic profiles resulted different in adolescent groups. Particularly, biosynthesis of primary bile acid and steroid acids, metabolism of fructose, mannose, galactose, butanoate, and pentose phosphate and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis were for the majority associated to obese, while biosynthesis and metabolism of glycan, biosynthesis of secondary bile acid, metabolism of steroid hormone and lipoic acid were associated to NW adolescents. Our study revealed unique features of gut microbiota in terms of ecological patterns, microbial composition and metabolism in obese patients. The assignment of novel obesity bacterial markers may open avenues for the development of patient-tailored treatments dependent on age-related microbiota profiles.

  18. Simulation of Growth Trajectories of Childhood Obesity into Adulthood.

    PubMed

    Ward, Zachary J; Long, Michael W; Resch, Stephen C; Giles, Catherine M; Cradock, Angie L; Gortmaker, Steven L

    2017-11-30

    Although the current obesity epidemic has been well documented in children and adults, less is known about long-term risks of adult obesity for a given child at his or her present age and weight. We developed a simulation model to estimate the risk of adult obesity at the age of 35 years for the current population of children in the United States. We pooled height and weight data from five nationally representative longitudinal studies totaling 176,720 observations from 41,567 children and adults. We simulated growth trajectories across the life course and adjusted for secular trends. We created 1000 virtual populations of 1 million children through the age of 19 years that were representative of the 2016 population of the United States and projected their trajectories in height and weight up to the age of 35 years. Severe obesity was defined as a body-mass index (BMI, the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) of 35 or higher in adults and 120% or more of the 95th percentile in children. Given the current level of childhood obesity, the models predicted that a majority of today's children (57.3%; 95% uncertainly interval [UI], 55.2 to 60.0) will be obese at the age of 35 years, and roughly half of the projected prevalence will occur during childhood. Our simulations indicated that the relative risk of adult obesity increased with age and BMI, from 1.17 (95% UI, 1.09 to 1.29) for overweight 2-year-olds to 3.10 (95% UI, 2.43 to 3.65) for 19-year-olds with severe obesity. For children with severe obesity, the chance they will no longer be obese at the age of 35 years fell from 21.0% (95% UI, 7.3 to 47.3) at the age of 2 years to 6.1% (95% UI, 2.1 to 9.9) at the age of 19 years. On the basis of our simulation models, childhood obesity and overweight will continue to be a major health problem in the United States. Early development of obesity predicted obesity in adulthood, especially for children who were severely obese. (Funded by the JPB

  19. A cross-sectional study of the influence of neighborhood environment on childhood overweight and obesity: Variation by age, gender, and environment characteristics.

    PubMed

    Yang, Yong; Jiang, Yu; Xu, Yanqing; Mzayek, Fawaz; Levy, Marian

    2018-03-01

    To examine the influence of neighborhood environment on childhood overweight and obesity in Shelby County Schools, Tennessee, and whether and to what extent that influence varies by age, gender, and the specific environment characteristics. 41,283 students were surveyed covering both individual-level covariates and several objective measures of neighborhood environment. Multilevel logistic regressions were used to examine the influence of neighborhood-level variables on overweight+obesity and obesity with adjustment of individual-level covariates. Further, a stratified analysis for each of the six groups by school level and gender. For both overweight+obesity and obesity, younger children were less sensitive to neighborhood characteristics than older children, and boys are less sensitive than girls. For girls in middle and high schools, the risk of overweight+obesity and obesity were positively associated with population density, and negatively associated with percent of poverty and percent of unhealthy food. Boys' risk of overweight+obesity and obesity were positively associated with distance to park. Neighborhood environment plays an important role in childhood overweight and obesity, and the effects vary by age, gender, and the specific neighborhood characteristic. Intervention programs tailored to specific groups may be more effective than ones targeted to children as a whole. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Family-based behavioural intervention for obese children.

    PubMed

    Epstein, L H

    1996-02-01

    The family environment can contribute to the development of obesity. Parenting styles may influence the development of food preferences and the ability of a child to regulate intake. Parents and other family members arrange a common, shared environment that may be conducive to overeating or a sedentary lifestyle. Family members serve as models, and reinforce and support the acquisition and maintenance of eating and exercise behaviours. Family-based interventions are needed to modify these variables in treating obese children. We have made significant progress in developing interventions that target obese 8-12 year-old children, completing four 10-year follow-up studies that provide support for two factors that are useful in childhood obesity treatment. First, our research suggests that the direct involvement of at least one parent as an active participant in the weight loss process improves short- and long-term weight regulation. Second, our research suggests that increasing activity is important for maintenance of long-term weight control. Correlational analyses on the 10-year database suggest that family and friend support for behaviour change are related to long-term outcome. Family-based obesity treatment provides interventions for both children and their parents, but children benefit more from treatment than their parents. These positive results provide an encouraging basis for optimism that further development of interventions, based on newer research on family processes and behaviour changes, can be useful in treating childhood obesity.

  1. Gastro-oesophageal reflux and worse asthma control in obese children: a case of symptom misattribution?

    PubMed

    Lang, Jason E; Hossain, Jobayer; Holbrook, Janet T; Teague, W Gerald; Gold, Benjamin D; Wise, Robert A; Lima, John J

    2016-03-01

    Obese children for unknown reasons report greater asthma symptoms. Asthma and obesity both independently associate with gastro-oesophageal reflux symptoms (GORS). Determining if obesity affects the link between GORS and asthma will help elucidate the obese-asthma phenotype. Extend our previous work to determine the degree of associations between the GORS and asthma phenotype. We conducted a cross-sectional study of lean (20%-65% body mass index, BMI) and obese (≥95% BMI) children aged 10-17 years old with persistent, early-onset asthma. Participants contributed demographics, GORS and asthma questionnaires and lung function data. We determined associations between weight status, GORS and asthma outcomes using multivariable linear and logistic regression. Findings were replicated in a second well-characterised cohort of asthmatic children. Obese children had seven times higher odds of reporting multiple GORS (OR=7.7, 95% CI 1.9 to 31.0, interaction p value=.004). Asthma symptoms were closely associated with GORS scores in obese patients (r=0.815, p<0.0001) but not in leans (r=0.291, p=0.200; interaction p value=0.003). Higher GORS scores associated with higher FEV1-per cent predicted (p=0.003), lower airway resistance (R10, p=0.025), improved airway reactance (X10, p=0.005) but significantly worse asthma control (Asthma Control Questionnaire, p=0.007). A significant but weaker association between GORS and asthma symptoms was seen in leans compared with obese in the replicate cohort. GORS are more likely to associate with asthma symptoms in obese children. Better lung function among children reporting gastro-oesophageal reflux and asthma symptoms suggests that misattribution of GORS to asthma may be a contributing mechanism to excess asthma symptoms in obese children. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

  2. Nutritional intakes in children with Prader–Willi syndrome and non-congenital obesity

    PubMed Central

    Rubin, Daniela A.; Nowak, Jill; McLaren, Erin; Patiño, Monzeratt; Castner, Diobel M.; Dumont-Driscoll, Marilyn C.

    2015-01-01

    Background Individuals with Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) have extremely regulated diets to prevent the development of morbid obesity. Objective This study evaluated potential deficiencies in macro and micronutrients in a cohort of youth with PWS and compared them to a group of children with non-congenital obesity and to US national recommendations. Design Participants were 32 youth with PWS (age=10.8±2.6 years, body fat=46.7±10.1%) and 48 children without PWS but classified as obese (age=9.7±1.2 years, body fat=43.4±5.7%). Participants’ parents completed a training session on food recording before completing a 3-day food record during a typical week including a weekend day and two weekdays, as well as a screening form indicating nutritional supplements use. Results Youth with PWS reported less calories (1,312±75 vs. 1,531±61 kcal, p=0.03), carbohydrate (175±10 vs. 203±8 g), and sugars (67±5 vs. 81±4 g; p=0.04 for both) than obese. Youth with PWS consumed more vegetables (1.1±0.1 vs. 0.6±0.1 cups) and more of them met the daily recommendation (p<0.01 for both). Likewise, youth with PWS consumed more calcium than obese (899±53 vs. 752±43 mg) and more of them met the recommended daily dose (p=0.04 for both). The majority of participants in this study did not meet the vitamin D recommendation. Conclusion Despite consuming less calories, youth with PWS had a similar proportion of macronutrients in their diet as children with obesity. Micronutrient deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D in youth with PWS were noted despite a third of youth with PWS consuming multivitamin supplements. Special attention must be paid to the diets of youth with PWS and with obesity to ensure they are meeting micronutrient needs during this period of growth and development. PMID:26652260

  3. Neighbourhood economic deprivation explains racial/ethnic disparities in overweight and obesity among children and adolescents in the U.S.A.

    PubMed

    Rossen, Lauren M

    2014-02-01

    Low-income and some racial and ethnic subpopulations are more likely to suffer from obesity. Inequities in the physical and social environment may contribute to disparities in paediatric obesity, but there is little empirical evidence to date. This study explored whether neighbourhood-level socioeconomic factors attenuate racial and ethnic disparities in obesity among youth in the U.S.A. and whether individual-level socioeconomic status (SES) interacts with neighbourhood deprivation. This analysis used data from 17,100 youth ages 2-18 years participating in the 2001-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey linked to census tract-level socioeconomic characteristics. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to examine neighbourhood deprivation in association with odds of obesity (age-specific and sex-specific body mass index percentile ≥95). The unadjusted prevalence of obesity was 15% among non-Hispanic white children and 21% among non-Hispanic black and Mexican-American children. Adjustment for individual-level SES neighbourhood deprivation and the interaction between these two factors resulted in a 74% attenuation of the disparity in obesity between non-Hispanic black and non-Hispanic white children and a 49% attenuation of the disparity between Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white children. There was a significant interaction between individual-level SES and neighbourhood deprivation where higher individual-level income was protective for children living in low-deprivation neighbourhoods, but not for children who lived in high-deprivation areas. Conversely, area deprivation was associated with higher odds of obesity, but only among children who were above the poverty threshold. Future research on disparities in obesity and other health outcomes should examine broader contextual factors and social determinants of inequities.

  4. Obesity-promoting factors in Mexican children and adolescents: challenges and opportunities.

    PubMed

    Aceves-Martins, Magaly; Llauradó, Elisabet; Tarro, Lucia; Solà, Rosa; Giralt, Montse

    2016-01-01

    Mexico is a developing country with one of the highest youth obesity rates worldwide; >34% of children and adolescents between 5 and 19 years of age are overweight or obese. The current review seeks to compile, describe, and analyze dietary conditions, physical activity, socioeconomic status, and cultural factors that create and exacerbate an obesogenic environment among Mexican youth. A narrative review was performed using PubMed and the Cochrane Library databases, as well as grey literature data from the Mexican government, academics, and statistical reports from nongovernmental organizations, included in electronic formats. The recent socioeconomic and nutritional transition has resulted in reduced healthy meal options at public schools, high rates of sedentary lifestyles among adolescents, lack of open spaces and playgrounds, socioeconomic deprivation, false or misunderstood sociocultural traditional beliefs, misconceptions about health, a high percentage of overweight or obese adults, and low rates of maternal breastfeeding. Some of the factors identified are exacerbating the obesity problem in this population. Current evidence also shows that more policies and health programs are needed for prevention of childhood and adolescent obesity. Mexico presents alarming obesity levels, which need to be curtailed and urgently reversed. The present narrative review presents an overview of dietary, physical activity, societal and cultural preconceptions that are potentially modifiable obesity-promoting factors in Mexican youth. Measures to control these factors need to be implemented in all similar developing countries by governments, policy makers, stakeholders, and health care professionals to tackle obesity in children and young people.

  5. Association of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels with Iinsulin resistance in obese children.

    PubMed

    Onal, Zehra Esra; Atasayan, Vildan; Gürbüz, Tamay; Hepkaya, Evrim; Nuhoğlu, Cağatay

    2014-09-01

    We investigated the relationship between insulin resistance reflected by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) index and serum HbA1c levels of obese children. This study included 70 obese and 60 normal weight healthy children between the ages of 3 and 15. Anthropometric measures and biochemical tests (fasting glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1c) were performed on all subjects. Plasma glucose levels were measured by the glucose oxidase method. Plasma insulin concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA). HOMA-IR index was used to estimate insulin resistance. A cut-off HOMA-IR level of ≥2.5 was accepted. The HbA1c analysis was performed using high-pressure liquid chromatography. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 5. Student's unpaired t-test and the Mann-Whitney U test were used to determine statistical significance. Gender distribution did not reveal significant difference among the obese (F: 48.6%, M: 51.4%) and the non-obese (F: 46.7%, M: 53.3%) groups. The mean age value was significantly higher in the obese group (10.09 ± 3.09) (p > 0.005) than the non-obese group (8.31 ± 3.14) (p < 0.05). The mean value of body mass index (BMI) was 25.55 ± 4.3 in the obese group and 16.63 ± 2.3 in the non-obese group. The mean HOMA-IR values of obese group (2.84 ± 1.77) was significantly higher than the non-obese group (1.50 ± 0.95) (p < 0.005). Insulin resistance was significantly higher in the obese group. Subjects with HOMA-IR ≥2.5 levels in the obese group had significantly higher HbA1c values than those with HOMA-IR <2.5 levels. High HbA1c levels in obese children can be used as a screening tool to detect insulin sensitivity and resistance at an early stage.

  6. Parents' barriers and strategies to promote healthy eating among school-age children.

    PubMed

    Nepper, Martha J; Chai, Weiwen

    2016-08-01

    The home environment is considered one of the most important settings in regards to the development of healthy eating habits among children. The primary purpose of this study was to explore parents' barriers and strategies in promoting healthy eating in the home. The secondary objective was to determine whether the barriers and strategies parents had were different between healthy weight and overweight/obese school-age children. Semi-structured individual interviews with 14 parents of healthy weight and 11 parents of overweight/obese children (6-12 years) were conducted in family homes from August 2014 to March 2015. Transcripts were recorded and codes and themes were verified by the research team and one qualitative expert. Themes emerging from both parents of healthy weight and overweight/obese children were: 1) Parents are busy and strapped for time; 2) Cost is a barrier in providing healthy food, but parents are resourceful; 3) Children ask for junk food regularly, but parents have strategies to manage; 4) Picky eaters are a challenge but parents know they have to overcome this barrier; and 5) Early exposure to unhealthy eating influences children's food choices but strategies can help. However, parents of overweight/obese children felt a lack of support from their spouses/partners for healthy eating in the home, which was not expressed among parents of healthy weight children. Additionally, barriers and strategies were similar among parents of children from different age groups [6-9 years vs. 10-12 years (pre-adolescents)]. Our results suggest while parents faced some challenges in promoting healthy eating in the home, they utilized several strategies to overcome these barriers, which are valuable for direct intervention to improve home food environment and manage children's weight. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Serum galectin-1 levels are positively correlated with body fat and negatively with fasting glucose in obese children.

    PubMed

    Acar, Sezer; Paketçi, Ahu; Küme, Tuncay; Tuhan, Hale; Gürsoy Çalan, Özlem; Demir, Korcan; Böber, Ece; Abacı, Ayhan

    2017-09-01

    Galectin-1, a recently identified peptide, is primarily released from the adipose tissue. Although galectin-1 was shown to have an anti-inflammatory effect, its specific function is not clearly understood. We aimed to evaluate the relationship of serum galectin-1 levels with clinical and laboratory parameters in childhood obesity. A total of 45 obese children (mean age: 12.1±3.1years) and 35 normal-weight children (mean age: 11.8±2.2years) were enrolled. Clinical [body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), percentage of body fat and blood pressure] and biochemical [glucose, insulin, lipids, galectin-1, high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and leptin levels] parameters were assessed. Serum galectin-1, hsCRP and leptin levels were significantly higher in obese children than those in normal-weight children (12.4 vs 10.2ng/mL, p<0.001; 3.28 vs 0.63mg/L, p<0.001; 8.3 vs 1.2ng/mL, p<0.001, respectively). In obese children, galectin-1 levels correlated negatively with fasting glucose (r=-0.346, p=0.020) and positively with fat mass (r=0.326, p=0.026) and WC standard deviation score (SDS) (r=0.451, p=0.002). The multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that serum galectin-1 levels were significantly associated with fasting glucose and WC SDS. This study showed that obese children had significantly higher galectin-1 levels in proportion to fat mass in obese cases than those in healthy children, which may be interpreted as a compensatory increase in an attempt to improve glucose metabolism. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Analysing the Peer Relationships of Obese and Normal-Weight Preschool Children Aged between Five and Six Years

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seçer, Zarife; Gülay Ogelman, Hülya; Önder, Alev

    2015-01-01

    The objective of this study is to reveal whether the peer relationships of preschool children who are determined to be obese, based on their body mass index (BMI), differentiate or not. The study was conducted within the frame of a relational survey model. A total of 114 five- to six-year-old children (57 normal-weight children and 57 obese…

  9. Tracking for underweight, overweight and obesity from childhood to adolescence: a 5-year follow-up study in urban Indonesian children.

    PubMed

    Julia, M; van Weissenbruch, M M; Prawirohartono, E P; Surjono, A; Delemarre-van de Waal, H A

    2008-01-01

    To assess tracking of body mass index (BMI) of urban Indonesian children from childhood to adolescence and to compare the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity in 6- to 8-year-old children from two surveys: years 1999 and 2004. A longitudinal study assessing BMI tracking of 308 urban children followed from age 6-8 to 11-13 years and two cross-sectional surveys comparing the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity in 6- to 8-year-old children: year 1999 (n = 1,524) and 2004 (n = 510). Childhood BMI determined 52.3% variation of later BMI. After 5.1 (0.6) years the prevalence of overweight and obesity increased from 4.2 and 1.9% in childhood to 8.8 and 3.2% in adolescence. The prevalence of underweight decreased from 27.3 to 18.8%. All obese children remained obese, 84.6% overweight children stayed overweight, 56.0% underweight children remained underweight. In cross-sectional comparison the prevalence of overweight and obesity raised from 5.3 to 8.6% and from 2.7 to 3.7%, respectively. The prevalence of underweight remained constant. The prevalence of overweight and obesity increases as children grow into adolescence. Overweight or obese children are more likely to remain overweight or obese. Cross-sectional comparison shows, while the prevalence of underweight stays constant, the prevalence of overweight and obesity increases. (c) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel

  10. Obesity and Socioeconomic Status in Children and Adolescents: United States, 2005-2008. NCHS Data Brief. Number 51

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ogden, Cynthia L.; Lamb, Molly M.; Carroll, Margaret D.; Flegal, Katherine M.

    2010-01-01

    In 2007-2008 almost 17% of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years were obese. Childhood obesity often tracks to adulthood and, in the short run, childhood obesity can lead to psychosocial problems and cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and abnormal glucose tolerance or diabetes. Studies have suggested that…

  11. [Breastfeeding as a protective factor against overweight and obesity among pre-school children].

    PubMed

    Jarpa, M Catalina; Cerda, L Jaime; Terrazas, M Claudia; Cano, C Carmen

    2015-01-01

    The rates of overweight and obesity among children have significantly increased in Chile. To assess the benefits of breastfeeding in preventing malnutrition by excessive intake of foods in Chilean pre-school children. A case-control study was conducted in 2011 on pediatric patients treated in a private Chilean healthcare center (San Joaquin Medical Center, Catholic University). Gender, age, weight, height, nutritional diagnosis, type of feeding during the first 6 months of life, socioeconomic status, parental education and obesity, television viewing, and kindergarten attendance were analyzed. A total of 209 patients were included in the study, 53.1% of whom were male, and 60.3% were predominantly breastfed for the first 6 months of life. More than half (51.7%) were eutrophic, 29.7% were overweight, and 18.6% obese. The patients were between the ages of 2 and 3 years 11 months. The crude Odds Ratio of breast-feeding versus formula during the first 6 months of life in patients with normal weight versus overweight children was 0.442 (95% CI 0.204-0.961). It was found that predominantly breastfeeding during the first 6 months of life acted as a protective factor against malnutrition by excessive intake of foods in Chilean pre-school children treated in this private medical center. Copyright © 2015. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.

  12. Prediabetes and Cardiovascular Parameters in Obese Children and Adolescents

    PubMed Central

    Eklioğlu, Beray Selver; Atabek, Mehmet Emre; Akyürek, Nesibe; Alp, Hayrullah

    2016-01-01

    Objective: In this study, our aim was to determine cardiovascular risk and cardiac function in prediabetic obese children and adolescents. Methods: The study was conducted on 198 obese children and adolescents 6-18 years of age. Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure measurements, oral glucose tolerance test, lipid profile, and HbA1c levels of patients were assessed. Prediabetes was defined according to American Diabetes Association criteria. Left ventricular mass index (LVMi), carotid intima-media thickness (c-IMT), and tissue Doppler measurements records were used. Results: LVMi was found to be significantly higher in the prediabetes group (p=0.03). There were no statistically significant differences in right ventricular tissue Doppler measurements between the prediabetic and non-prediabetic groups. Left ventricular tissue Doppler measurements were significantly higher in the prediabetes group: LVEEM (left ventricular E/e ratio) (p=0.04); LVEM (left ventricular myocardial velocity cm/s) (p=0.035). LVMi was found to positively correlate with triglyceride level, diastolic blood pressure, waist circumference, body weight standard deviation score and to negatively correlate with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p=0.043, r=0.15; p=0.039, r=0.15; p=0.025, r=0.17; p=0.009, r=0.19; p=0.038, r=-0.15, respectively). LVEM was correlated with glucose (p=0.046, r=0.15) and LVEEM was correlated with systolic blood pressure (p=0.035, r=0.15). In linear regression analysis for clinical cardiovascular risk factors, fasting glucose level was the best predictor of LVEM. Conclusion: In this study, deterioration of cardiac function in prediabetic obese children and adolescents was shown. We recommend determining cardiovascular risk and cardiac dysfunction at early stages in prediabetic obese children and adolescents. PMID:26759114

  13. Prediabetes and Cardiovascular Parameters in Obese Children and Adolescents.

    PubMed

    Eklioğlu, Beray Selver; Atabek, Mehmet Emre; Akyürek, Nesibe; Alp, Hayrullah

    2016-03-05

    In this study, our aim was to determine cardiovascular risk and cardiac function in prediabetic obese children and adolescents. The study was conducted on 198 obese children and adolescents 6-18 years of age. Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure measurements, oral glucose tolerance test, lipid profile, and HbA1c levels of patients were assessed. Prediabetes was defined according to American Diabetes Association criteria. Left ventricular mass index (LVMi), carotid intima-media thickness (c-IMT), and tissue Doppler measurements records were used. LVMi was found to be significantly higher in the prediabetes group (p=0.03). There were no statistically significant differences in right ventricular tissue Doppler measurements between the prediabetic and non-prediabetic groups. Left ventricular tissue Doppler measurements were significantly higher in the prediabetes group: LVEEM (left ventricular E/e ratio) (p=0.04); LVEM (left ventricular myocardial velocity cm/s) (p=0.035). LVMi was found to positively correlate with triglyceride level, diastolic blood pressure, waist circumference, body weight standard deviation score and to negatively correlate with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p=0.043, r=0.15; p=0.039, r=0.15; p=0.025, r=0.17; p=0.009, r=0.19; p=0.038, r=-0.15, respectively). LVEM was correlated with glucose (p=0.046, r=0.15) and LVEEM was correlated with systolic blood pressure (p=0.035, r=0.15). In linear regression analysis for clinical cardiovascular risk factors, fasting glucose level was the best predictor of LVEM. In this study, deterioration of cardiac function in prediabetic obese children and adolescents was shown. We recommend determining cardiovascular risk and cardiac dysfunction at early stages in prediabetic obese children and adolescents.

  14. Physical fitness in preschool children: association with sex, age and weight status.

    PubMed

    Latorre Román, P Á; Moreno Del Castillo, R; Lucena Zurita, M; Salas Sánchez, J; García-Pinillos, F; Mora López, D

    2017-03-01

    Because fitness level is a potent biomarker of health from an early age, the improvements of physical fitness performance through the promotion of physical activity could be important for the health of preschool children, particularly in obesity prevention. The purpose of this study is to determine the physical fitness in children aged 3-6 years, discriminating performance by sex, age and body mass index (BMI). A total of 3868 children from 3 to 6 years agreed voluntarily to participate. Demographic characteristics revealed that 1961 children were male (age: 55.71 ± 11.11 months old, BMI = 16.03 ± 1.93 kg/m 2 ), and 1907 were female (age 56.16 ± 0.97 months old, BMI = 15.85 ± 1.89 kg/m 2 ), and they were selected from 51 schools in southern Spain. Significant differences were found between sexes: boys showed a greater performance on cardio respiratory endurance, reaction time, strength and running speed. We found significant differences by sex in the different age groups (3, 4, 5 and 6 years old). Sex differences in physical fitness are evident at an early age; in addition, the relationship between physical fitness and BMI is inconsistent in preschool children. The improvements of physical fitness performance and its association with physical activity could be important for the health of children, particularly in obesity prevention. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Prenatal exposure to very severe maternal obesity is associated with adverse neuropsychiatric outcomes in children.

    PubMed

    Mina, T H; Lahti, M; Drake, A J; Räikkönen, K; Minnis, H; Denison, F C; Norman, J E; Reynolds, R M

    2017-01-01

    Prenatal maternal obesity has been linked to adverse childhood neuropsychiatric outcomes, including increased symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), internalizing and externalizing problems, affective disorders and neurodevelopmental problems but few studies have studied neuropsychiatric outcomes among offspring born to very severely obese women or assessed potential familial confounding by maternal psychological distress. We evaluated neuropsychiatric symptoms in 112 children aged 3-5 years whose mothers had participated in a longitudinal study of obesity in pregnancy (50 very severe obesity, BMI ⩾40 kg/m2, obese class III and 62 lean, BMI 18.5-25 kg/m2). The mothers completed the Conners' Hyperactivity Scale, Early Symptomatic Syndrome Eliciting Neurodevelopmental Clinical Examination Questionnaire (ESSENCE-Q), Child's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) to assess child neuropsychiatric symptoms. Covariates included child's sex, age, birthweight, gestational age, socioeconomic deprivation levels, maternal age, parity, smoking status during pregnancy, gestational diabetes and maternal concurrent symptoms of anxiety and depression assessed using State Anxiety of Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Index (STAI) and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), respectively. Children exposed to prenatal maternal very severe obesity had significantly higher scores in the Conners' Hyperactivity Scale; ESSENCE-Q; total sleep problems in CSHQ; hyperactivity, conduct problems and total difficulties scales of the SDQ; higher externalizing and total problems, anxious/depressed, aggressive behaviour and other problem syndrome scores and higher DSM-oriented affective, anxiety and ADHD problems in CBCL. Prenatal maternal very severe obesity remained a significant predictor of child neuropsychiatric problems across multiple scales independent of demographic factors, prenatal factors and

  16. The role of overweight and obesity in urinary tract infection in children.

    PubMed

    Mahyar, Abolfazl; Ayazi, Parviz; Gholmohammadi, Parisa; Moshiri, Seyed Alireza; Oveisi, Sonia; Esmaeily, Shiva

    2016-01-01

    This study was conducted to determine the relationship between overweight/obesity and UTI in children. A comparison was made, in terms of overweight and obesity, between 135 children with UTI (case group) and 135 healthy children (control group). UTI was diagnosed through urine culture. Dimercaptosuccinic acid renal scanning (DMSA) was also used to distinguish between lower UTI and acute pyelonephritis. Overweight and obesity were determined based on standard body mass index (BMI) curves. There were 12 (8.8%) overweight and 26 (19.2%) obese children in the case group. Four (3.0%) overweight and five (3.7%) obese children were found in the control group. There was a significant difference between the two groups regarding overweight and obesity frequencies. However, no such difference existed between children with cystitis and acute pyelonephritis. This study showed a significant relationship between overweight/obesity and UTI. Therefore, overweight and obesity may play a role in the pathogenesis of UTI in children.

  17. Prevalence of hypovitaminosis D and associated factors in obese Spanish children.

    PubMed

    Durá-Travé, T; Gallinas-Victoriano, F; Chueca-Guindulain, M J; Berrade-Zubiri, S

    2017-03-13

    Vitamin D deficiency may contribute to endocrine health and disease (diabetes, autoimmune thyroid diseases, polycystic ovarian syndrome, etc.). The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and specific factors for hypovitaminosis D among children stratified by body mass index (BMI) in Northern Spain. A cross-sectional clinical (sex, age, season of study visit, place of residence and BMI) and blood testing (calcium, phosphorous, calcidiol and parathyroid hormone (PTH)) were accomplished in 546 Caucasian individuals (aged 3.2-15.8 years). The BMI (Z-score) allowed establishing four groups: normal, overweight, obesity and severe obesity. The criteria of the US Endocrine Society were used for the definition of hypovitaminosis D. Calcidiol levels were significantly higher in normal and overweight groups (P=0.001), whereas PTH levels were significantly higher in obesity and severe obesity groups (P=0.001). Hypovitaminosis D prevalence was significantly higher in severe obesity (81.1%) and obesity (68.2%) groups, whereas was lowest in overweight (55%) and normal (58.1%) groups (P=0.001). There was a negative correlation between calcidiol and PTH levels (P<0.01). Female (90.9%), adolescent group (88,2%), winter (100%) and autumn (82.4%) time and urban residence (94.1%) imply a higher prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in subjects with severe obesity (P<0.001). Female, puberal age, autumn, winter and spring time, urban residence and severe obesity were found to be independent predictors for hypovitaminosis D. Severe obesity could be considered as an associated factor for vitamin D deficiency, and, owing to its high prevalence, the implementation of systematic screening and hypovitaminosis treatment programs would be particularly useful.

  18. Obesity, Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors in Children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

    PubMed

    Corvey, Kathryn; Menear, Kristi S; Preskitt, Julie; Goldfarb, Samantha; Menachemi, Nir

    2016-02-01

    Previous literature using small sample sizes and limited geographic areas report that overweight/obesity and physical inactivity occur at higher rates among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to typically developing peers. The purpose of this study was to examine obesity, overweight, physical activity, and sedentary behavior among children and youth with and without ASD using nationally representative data and controlling for secondary conditions, including intellectual and learning disabilities, ADHD, developmental delay, and other mental, physical, and medical conditions, as well as medication use. Data were collected from the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health, a cross-sectional survey of 65,680 (weighted N = 49,586,134) children aged 6-17 (1385 with ASD, weighted N = 986,352). Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios, adjusting for demographics and possible secondary conditions. Having a diagnosis of ASD was associated with higher odds of obesity (OR 1.76, CI 1.27-2.43; p = <0.001). However, after additional adjustment for possible secondary conditions, ASD diagnosis was no longer associated with obesity. Those with moderate ASD (OR 0.58, CI 0.36-0.93; p = <0.05) reported lower odds of sedentary behavior, but this association failed to achieve significance after adjustment for secondary conditions and medication use. No significant associations between ASD and overweight or physical activity were found. These findings suggest that ASD diagnosis is not significantly associated with obesity status after adjustment for possible secondary conditions and medication use. Decision makers, clinicians, and researchers developing interventions for children with ASDs should consider how secondary conditions may impact obesity and related activities.

  19. Vitamin D deficiency and insulin resistance as risk factors for dyslipidemia in obese children.

    PubMed

    Erol, Meltem; Bostan Gayret, Özlem; Hamilçıkan, Şahin; Can, Emrah; Yiğit, Özgu L

    2017-04-01

    Dyslipidemia is one of the major complications of obesity; vitamin D deficiency and insulin resistance are attending metabolic complications in dyslipidemic obese children. Objective. To determine if vitamin D deficiency and insulin resistance are risk factors for dyslipidemia in obese children. This study was conducted in the Department of Pediatrics at Bagcilar Training and Research Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey between 2014 and 2015. Obese patients whose age range was 8-14 were included in the study. The serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, highdensity lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting glucose, insulin, alanine aminotransferase, vitamin D levels were measured; a liver ultrasonography was performed. Homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR), was used to calculate insulin resistance. 108 obese children were included; 39 (36.11%) had dyslipidemia. The average fasting blood glucose (88.74 ± 7.58 vs. 95.31 ± 6.82; p= 0.0001), insulin level (14.71 ± 12.44 vs. 24.39 ± 15.02; p= 0.0001) and alanine aminotransferase level (23.45 ± 11.18 vs. 30.4 ± 18.95; p= 0.018) were significantly higher in the children with dyslipidemia. In the dyslipidemic obese children, the average hepatosteatosis rate and HOMA-IR level were higher; 28 (71.9%) had hepatosteatosis, 37 (94.87%) had insulin resistance; the vitamin D levels were <20 ng/ml in 69.3%. Vitamin D deficiency was significantly more common (p= 0.033). The multivariate regression analysis confirmed that the increase in the HOMA-IR level (p= 0.015) and the low vitamin D level (p= 0.04) were important risk factors for dyslipidemia. Obese children in our region exhibit low vitamin D and increased HOMA-IR levels, which are efficient risk factors of dyslipidemia.

  20. Biomarkers of cardiometabolic risk in obese/overweight children: effect of lifestyle intervention.

    PubMed

    Vrablík, M; Dobiášová, M; Zlatohlávek, L; Urbanová, Z; Češka, R

    2014-01-01

    Obesity is a strong cardiometabolic (CM) risk factor in children. We tested potential CM risk in obese/overweight children and the effect of an intensive lifestyle intervention using newer CM markers: atherogenic index of plasma AIP [Log(TG/HDL-C)], apoB/apoAI ratio and a marker of insulin resistance HOMA-IR. The participants (194 girls, 115 boys, average age 13) were enrolled in an intensive, one-month, inpatient weight reduction program. The program consisted of individualised dietary changes and the exercise program comprised aerobic and resistance training. Anthropometrical and biochemical parameters in plasma and CM risk biomarkers - (AIP, apoB/apoAI ratio and HOMA-IR) were examined before and after the intervention. AIP and HOMA-IR significantly correlated with BMI while apoB/apoAI ratio did not. Only AIP and HOMA-IR showed systematic increases according to the level of obesity by BMI quartiles. Lifestyle intervention significantly improved anthropometrical and biochemical values and the biomarkers too. The response of lipid parameters to the intervention was considerably higher in boys than in girls. The children were stratified into three risk categories according to AIP, where 13.8 % of boys and 5.3 % of girls fell into high risk category. The monitored biomarkers may complement each other in the prognosis of CM risk. AIP was strongly related to obesity and to lipid and glycid metabolism, while the relationship of the apoB/apoAI ratio to obesity and glycid metabolism was not significant. The obese children benefited from the intensive lifestyle intervention which improved the anthropometrical and biochemical parameters and CM risk biomarkers.

  1. Association between serum uric acid and metabolic syndrome components in prepubertal obese children (Tanner Stage I) from Nuevo León, Mexico - a preliminary study.

    PubMed

    Perez, Elizabeth Solis; Medina, Mario Alberto González; Lomeli, Manuel Lopez-Cabanillas; González, Verónica Tijerina; Pérez, Jesús Zacarías Villarreal; Lavalle González, Fernando J; Imrhan, Victorine; Juma, Shanil; Vijayagopal, Parakat; Boonme, Kittipong; Prasad, Chandan

    2017-01-01

    Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Previous studies in obese children demonstrating a positive association between serum uric acid (sUA) and components of MetS are confounded by lack of uniformity in age and pubertal status of children. Therefore, we have examined the role of sUA in MetS and its components in pre-pubertal children (Tanner Stage I, age ≤ 9 years). Pre-pubertal obese children (32 boys, 27 girls, age 6-9 years) were recruited from Nuevo Leon, Mexico. For comparison, an equal number of children with normal body mass index (BMI) in the same age range (22 Boys, 39 girls, age 6-9 years) were also recruited from the same community. Presence of MetS and its components was defined according to the criteria of International Diabetes Federation. Fasting blood was analyzed for lipids, glucose, insulin, and uric acid. Among the obese children, sUA was positively associated with insulin resistance and hypertriglyceridemia and negatively associated with high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDLc). Subjects were three times more likely to have a MetS diagnosis per one unit (md/dL) difference in sUA. Of the 59 obese pre-pubertal children, 20 were classified as having MetS defined by the presence of abdominal obesity and two or more of other components described under methods. Of these, 57.1% (20/61) had sUA between 5.1 and 7.1 mg/dl. The findings of this study clearly indicate a positive relationship between uric acid and MetS and its components in pre-pubertal obese children with Tanner stage I and ≤9 years of age.

  2. [Overweight and obesity in children treated for congentital heart disease].

    PubMed

    Perin, Francesca; Carreras Blesa, Carmen; Rodríguez Vázquez Del Rey, Maria Del Mar; Cobo, Inmaculada; Maldonado, José

    2018-04-21

    The negative impact of overweight and obesity is potentially greater in children affected by a congenital heart disease (CHD). The aim of this study is to calculate the proportion of overweight and obesity in children who underwent an intervention for CHD, and to investigate systolic arterial hypertension as a possible early cardiovascular complication. A retrospective study was conducted on patients aged 6 to 17 years treated for CHD, and healthy control subjects, followed-up in a Paediatric Cardiology Clinic. Body mass index percentiles were calculated according to the criteria of WHO. A review was performed on the anthropometric and clinical data, as well as the systolic blood pressure (SBP). A total of 440 patients were included, of which 220 had CHD. The proportion of combined obesity and overweight (body mass index percentile≥85) was 36.4% (37.3% in healthy subjects and 35.4% in patients with CHD, P=.738). A higher prevalence of obesity (body mass index percentile≥97) was found in CHD patients (22.7%) compared to 15.5% in healthy subjects (P=.015). SBP percentiles were higher in overweight compared to normal-weight patients (P<.001). The prevalence of SBP readings≥the 95th percentile was greater in overweight than in normal weight CHD patients (29.5% versus 7.7%, P<.001) and also in the overweight healthy controls compared to those of normal weight (12.2% versus 0.7%, P<.001). The proportion of obesity is high in treated CHD children and is associated with high SBP levels. The risk of long-term complications needs to be reduced by means of prevention and treatment of obesity in this very vulnerable population. Copyright © 2018. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.

  3. Prevalence of severe obesity and its association with elevated blood pressure among children and adolescents in Shandong, China.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Ying-Xiu; Wang, Shu-Rong; Li, Su-Yun

    2017-12-01

    Childhood obesity has increased markedly during the past decades; however, data on the prevalence of severe obesity in children and adolescents are limited. The present study examined the prevalence of severe obesity and its association with elevated blood pressure (BP) among children and adolescents in Shandong, China. A total of 44 630 (22 404 boys and 22 226 girls) students aged 7-18 years participated in the study. BMI cut-off points recommended by the International Obesity Task Force were used to define class I-III obesity. Relatively high BP status was defined as systolic BP and/or diastolic BP of at least 95th percentile for age and sex. The prevalence rates of class I, class II, and class III obesity were 6.67, 1.47, and 0.42% for boys and 2.88, 0.64, and 0.18% for girls, respectively; boys had a higher prevalence than girls (P<0.01). Substantial urban-rural disparities exist in childhood obesity; urban boys and girls had a higher prevalence of class I and class II obesity than their rural peers (P<0.05). Severe obesity is associated with elevated BP; the prevalence of relatively high BP increased from 39.93% (boys) and 39.53% (girls) in the class I obese group to 50.54% (boys) and 53.66% (girls) in the class III obese group (P<0.05). Although the current prevalence of severe obesity was at a relatively low level, but we should not relax our vigilance to the obesity epidemic. Our findings also emphasize the importance of the prevention of severe obesity to prevent future-related problems such as hypertension in children and adolescents.

  4. Reductions in blood pressure during a community-based overweight and obesity treatment in children and adolescents with prehypertension and hypertension.

    PubMed

    Mollerup, P M; Lausten-Thomsen, U; Fonvig, C E; Baker, J L; Holm, J-C

    2017-10-01

    Due to the pandemic of childhood obesity and thus obesity-related hypertension, improvements in treatment availability are needed. Hence, we investigated whether reductions in blood pressure (BP) would occur in children with overweight and obesity exhibiting prehypertension/hypertension during a community-based overweight and obesity treatment program, and if changes in body mass index (BMI) are associated with changes in BP. The study included 663 children aged 3-18 years with a BMI ⩾85th percentile for sex and age that entered treatment from June 2012 to January 2015. Height, weight and BP were measured upon entry and every 3-6 months. BMI and BP s.d. scores (SDSs) were calculated according to sex and age, or sex, age and height. Prehypertension was defined as a BP SDS ⩾1.28 and <1.65. Hypertension was defined as a BP SDS ⩾1.65. Upon entry, 52% exhibited prehypertension (11.9%) or exhibited hypertension (40.1%). After 12 months (range: 3-29) of treatment, 29.3% of the children with prehypertension/hypertension were normotensive. Children with systolic prehypertension/hypertension upon entry reduced their systolic BP SDSs by 0.31 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.70-0.83, P<0.0001). Children with diastolic prehypertension/hypertension upon entry reduced their diastolic BP SDSs by 0.78 (95% CI: 0.78-0.86, P<0.0001). BMI SDS changes were positively associated with BP SDS changes (P<0.0001). Nonetheless, some children reduced BP SDSs while increasing their BMI SDSs, and prehypertension/hypertension developed in 23.3% of the normotensive children despite reductions in BMI SDSs (P<0.0001). These results suggest that community-based overweight and obesity treatment can reduce BP, and thus may help improve treatment availability.

  5. Perception of childhood obesity in mothers of preschool children.

    PubMed

    Kim, Hae Ok; Kim, Gyo Nam; Park, Euna

    2015-04-01

    The purpose of this study was to identify the perception of childhood obesity in mothers of preschool children using Q methodology. A total of 38 Q statements about childhood obesity were obtained from 41 participants. The QUANL PC program was used to analyze the results. There were three types of perception toward obesity in mothers of preschool children: the "authoritative discipline type," the "generous home meal focused type," and the "home meal based on household financial situation type." The perception of mothers toward childhood obesity can affect the extent of maternal interaction with children or meal preparation for the family. Based on these results, it is necessary to plan specific programs according to the types of maternal perception toward childhood obesity.

  6. [Management of children and adolescents with severe obesity].

    PubMed

    Valerio, G; Licenziati, M R; Tanas, R; Morino, G; Ambruzzi, A M; Balsamo, A; Brambilla, P; Bruzzi, P; Calcaterra, V; Crinò, A; De Falco, R; Franzese, A; Giordano, U; Grugni, G; Iaccarino Idelson, P; Iughetti, L; Maffeis, C; Manco, M; Miraglia Del Giudice, E; Mozzillo, E; Zito, E; Bernasconi, S

    2012-08-01

    Obesity is a complex public health issue. Recent data indicate the increasing prevalence and severity of obesity in children. Severe obesity is a real chronic condition for the difficulties of long-term clinical treatment, the high drop-out rate, the large burden of health and psychological problems and the high probability of persistence in adulthood. A staged approach for weight management is recommended. The establishment of permanent healthy lifestyle habits aimed at healthy eating, increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior is the first outcome, because of the long-term health benefits of these behaviors. Improvement in medical conditions is also an important sign of long-term health benefits. Rapid weight loss is not pursued, for the implications on growth ad pubertal development and the risk of inducing eating disorders. Children and adolescents with severe obesity should be referred to a pediatric weight management center that has access to a multidisciplinary team with expertise in childhood obesity. This article provides pediatricians a comprehensive and evidence based update on treatment recommendations of severe obesity in children and adolescents.

  7. Entrenched obesity in childhood: findings from a national cohort study.

    PubMed

    Cunningham, Solveig A; Datar, Ashlesha; Narayan, K M Venkat; Kramer, Michael R

    2017-07-01

    Given the high levels of obesity among U.S. children, we examine whether obesity in childhood is a passing phenomenon or remains entrenched into adolescence. Data are from the prospective nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999 (analytic sample = 6600). Anthropometrics were measured six times during 1998-2007. Overweight and obesity were defined using CDC cut-points. Entrenched obesity was defined as obesity between ages 5-9 coupled with persistent obesity at ages 11 and 14. Almost 30% of children experienced obesity at some point between ages 5.6 and 14.1 years; 63% of children who ever had obesity between ages 5.6 and 9.1 and 72% of those who had obesity at kindergarten entry experienced entrenched obesity. Children with severe obesity in kindergarten or who had obesity at more than 1 year during early elementary were very likely to experience obesity through age 14, regardless of their sex, race, or socioeconomic backgrounds. Prevention should focus on early childhood, as obesity at school entry is not often a passing phenomenon. Even one timepoint of obesity measured during the early elementary school years may be an indicator of risk for long-term obesity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Incidence and Prevalence of Childhood Obesity in Tehran, Iran in 2011.

    PubMed

    Mottaghi, Azadeh; Mirmiran, Parvin; Pourvali, Katayoon; Tahmasbpour, Zhaleh; Azizi, Fereidoun

    2017-10-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and prevalence of obesity in Tehranian children. Data from children participated in Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS) were evaluated. Cut off points for definition of obesity was the CDC's standard thresholds of the 95 th percentile and 85 th percentile for overweight. Prevalence, annual incidence of obesity, cumulative incidence over 10 year and the incidence density (cases per person-years) totally were calculated. The annual incidence of obesity was 1.9 and 3.4% per year in the first 3 yr and decreased to 0.9 and 2.5% in the last 3 yr of follow-up in girls and boys, respectively. Incidence density rates were in line with cumulative incidence, with a rate of 20.7 per 1000 person-years between the ages of 5.6 and 15.5 yr. The prevalence of obesity was higher among children who had obese parents ( P =0.03). Among all ages, across the quartiles of parents' BMI, the prevalence of obesity increased with rising in paternal ( P =0.001) or maternal BMI ( P =0.004). Physical activity of mothers affected the prevalence of obesity in children at mean ages of 5.3 and 9.1 yr. Across quartiles of mother's physical activity, from heavy to light, the prevalence of obesity increased among children, from 4.4% to 5.9% in children, aged 5.3 ( P =0.02) and from 11.6% to 13.0% in children, aged 9.1 yr ( P =0.03). Prevalence of obesity among children increased with age. Cumulative incidence of obesity in children who were overweight at baseline was much higher than other children.

  9. Walkable home neighbourhood food environment and children's overweight and obesity: Proximity, density or price?

    PubMed

    Le, Ha; Engler-Stringer, Rachel; Muhajarine, Nazeem

    2016-06-09

    To identify characteristics of the food environment associated with child overweight/obesity that could, if subjected to intervention, mitigate the risk of childhood overweight/obesity. We examined whether the proximity to or density of grocery and convenience stores or fast food restaurants, or the prices of healthy food options were more strongly associated with overweight/obesity risk in children. We collected geocoded data by residential addresses for 1,469 children aged 10-14 years and conducted a census of all food outlets in Saskatoon. The Nutrition Environment Measures Survey (NEMS)-Stores and the NEMS-Restaurants were used to measure availability, quality and relative price of healthy food items in stores and restaurants. Children's weight status was calculated on the basis of measured height and weight. Logistic regression was used to test the associations between overweight/obesity and food environment variables. Within an 800 m walking distance from home, 76% of children did not have access to a grocery store; 58% and 32% had access to at least one convenience store or one fast-food restaurant respectively. A significantly lower odds of overweight/obesity was associated with lower price of healthy food items/options in grocery stores (odds ratio [OR] = 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.77-0.99) and fast-food restaurants (OR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.95-0.99) within walking distance of home. Neither the distance to the closest food outlet nor the density of food outlets around children's homes was associated with odds of overweight/obesity. Improving economic access to healthy food in food outlets or fast-food restaurants is one strategy to counter childhood overweight/ obesity.

  10. Obesity and lower urinary tract dysfunction in children and adolescents: Further research into new relationships.

    PubMed

    Fraga, L G A; Sampaio, A; Boa-Sorte, N; Veiga, M L; Nascimento Martinelli Braga, A A; Barroso, U

    2017-08-01

    Lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD) involves faults in the filling and emptying phases of bladder function in toilet-trained children with no previous infection or any other obvious pathology. Lower urinary tract dysfunction is associated with conditions such as vesicoureteral reflux, recurrent urinary infection, behavioral alterations and decreased quality of life. The literature suggests an association between LUTD and obesity; however, the association between each individual symptom and obesity has yet to be evaluated. To evaluate the association between excess weight and LUTD in children and adolescents in a community-based sample. This cross-sectional study included 423 children and adolescents aged 5-17 years, and randomly selected in public places and schools between May and July 2015. The participants and their mothers completed the Dysfunctional Voiding Scoring System (DVSS) questionnaire, except for the questions on constipation and with the addition of a question on enuresis. They also completed the Rome III questionnaire, in which two positive responses defined the presence of constipation. Participants were classified as being of normal weight, overweight or obese, which was based on the BMI-for-age indicator. Mean age was 9.7 years (SD 2.9), with girls comprising 50.6% of the sample and adolescents 52.5%. The prevalence of LUTD was 7.1%, with 13.5% of participants being overweight and 12.1% obese (Figure). Constipation was present in 5.9% of participants and enuresis in 10.8%. In the multivariate analysis, three factors were independently and significantly associated with a positive DVSS: age <10 years (β = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.34-1.18), constipation (β = 1.79; 95% CI: 0.88-2.70) and obesity (β = 0.89; 95% CI: 0.25-1.52). Only bladder filling symptoms were associated with obesity. This may be explained by the fact that both obese individuals and those with emptying symptoms were shown to have activation alterations in the same brain regions

  11. Overweight and Obesity in Portuguese Children: Prevalence and Correlates

    PubMed Central

    Gomes, Thayse Natacha; Katzmarzyk, Peter T.; dos Santos, Fernanda K.; Souza, Michele; Pereira, Sara; Maia, José A. R.

    2014-01-01

    There are widespread differences in overweight/obesity prevalence in children, and understanding the reasons for this is very important. The present study aims: (I) to conduct a meta-analysis on overweight/obesity prevalence in Portuguese children; (II) to identify differences in biological and behavioural characteristics between normal-weight and overweight/obese children; and (III) to investigate the importance of individual- and school-level correlates of variation in children’s BMI using multilevel modelling. A search was done for all published papers including Portuguese children during the last decade; further, 686 Portuguese children (9–11 years old) were sampled and their BMI, family income, maturity offset, nutritional habits, physical activity, sedentariness, sleep time, and school environment information were collected. Results showed a stabilization of overweight/obesity during the last decade, 30.6% (95%CI: 0.287–0.34) for boys, 28.4% (95%CI: 0.23–0.35) for girls, and 30.3% (95%CI: 0.27–0.34) for boys and girls together. Differences between weight groups were only found in individual-level biological traits. The multilevel analysis did not identify significant contributions of school-level variables to children’s BMI variation. In conclusion, no increase was found in the prevalence of overweight/obesity among Portuguese children since 2000. Normal-weight and overweight/obese children only differ in individual-level characteristics, and school context variables were not related to variation in BMI. PMID:25372884

  12. Obesity and Motor Coordination Ability in Taiwanese Children with and without Developmental Coordination Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhu, Yi-Ching; Wu, Sheng K.; Cairney, John

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations between obesity and motor coordination ability in Taiwanese children with and without developmental coordination disorder (DCD). 2029 children (1078 boys, 951 girls) aged nine to ten years were chosen randomly from 14 elementary schools across Taiwan. We used bioelectrical impedance…

  13. Are single children more likely to be overweight or obese than those with siblings? The influence of China's one-child policy on childhood obesity.

    PubMed

    Min, Jungwon; Xue, Hong; Wang, Vivian H C; Li, Miao; Wang, Youfa

    2017-10-01

    China's one-child policy (1979-2015) has affected Chinese parenting practices and children's health behaviors and also may have contributed to increased childhood obesity. However, very limited research has investigated the association between one-child policy and childhood obesity. We examined characteristics of single-child families and the influence of one-child policy (indicated by single-child status) on children's weight status and related health behaviors. Data from children aged 6-18years old in the 2011 (n=1580) and 2000 (n=2317) China Health and Nutrition Survey were cross-sectionally analyzed with multilevel models. From 2000 to 2011, the rates about doubled for being a single-child (30.1% to 57.0%) and being overweight or obese (OWB, 6.6% to 16.5%) along with urbanization (27.5% to 37.1%). Single-child families had higher levels of parental education, household income and urban residence than families with ≥ two children (p<0.05). Compared to the children with siblings, single children were more likely to be OWB; the association became stronger over time (OR=4.5 (1.7-12.4) in 2011 and 1.7 (1.0-2.8) in 2000). Also, single children had less recreational screen time, but similar physical activity levels; however single urban children were more likely to have excess total energy intake (OR=5.70 (1.58-20.60)) than those with siblings. Being single-child is about four times more likely to be overweight/obesity than those having siblings, and the association became stronger over time in China. China's one-child policy might have contributed to its rising childhood obesity rates. Obesity intervention programs may need to account for the influence of the one-child policy in China. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  14. Prevalence of obesity and motor performance capabilities in Tyrolean preschool children.

    PubMed

    Greier, Klaus; Riechelmann, Herbert; Burtscher, Martin

    2014-07-01

    The childrens' world of movement has changed dramatically during the last decades. As a consequence motor performance decreases particularly in children affected by overweight and obesity. This study analyses the influence of the body mass index (BMI) on motor performance of pre-school children. In a cross-sectional study including 41 kindergartens in Tyrol (Austria), 4- to 5-year-old children (n = 1,063) were recruited. Four BMI groups were used according to a German BMI reference system: Group I (anorexic/underweight), group II (normal weight), group III (overweight) and group IV (obese). Motor performance was assessed by the use of the Karlsruhe Motorik-Screening (KMS 3-6). Out of the 1,063 preschool children (550 ♂, 513 ♀) 7.6 % (n = 81) were overweight and 5.5 % (n = 58) were obese. The results demonstrate that motor performance of under- and overweight preschool-children is not different from children with normal BMI, but obese children had significantly lower motor performance (p < 0.001). The prevalence of overweight and obese Tyrolean preschool children is similar to those of non-mountainous areas of Austria and Germany. The fact that motor performance is reduced only in obese children suggests that targeted promotion of physical activity is urgently needed for preschool children particularly considering children with a risk to develop obesity. Besides the efforts of parents, nursery schools are the ideal setting for intervention measures.

  15. Disruption in the relationship between blood pressure and salty taste thresholds among overweight and obese children

    PubMed Central

    Bobowski, Nuala K.

    2015-01-01

    Background Prevalence of high blood pressure (BP) among American children has increased over the past two decades, due in part to increasing rates of obesity and excessive dietary salt intake. Objective We tested the hypotheses that the relationships among BP, salty taste sensitivity, and salt intake differ between normal-weight and overweight/obese children. Design In an observational study, sodium chloride (NaCl) and monosodium glutamate (MSG) taste detection thresholds were measured using the Monell two-alternative, forced-choice, paired-comparison tracking method. Weight and BP were measured, and salt intake was determined by 24-hour dietary recall. Participants/Setting Eight- to 14-year-olds (N=97; 52% overweight or obese) from the Philadelphia area completed anthropometrics and BP measurements; 97% completed one or both thresholds. Seventy-six percent provided valid dietary recall data. Testing was completed between December 2011 and August 2012. Main outcome measures NaCl and MSG detection thresholds, BP, and dietary salt intake. Statistical analyses Outcome measures were compared between normal-weight and overweight/obese children with t-tests. Relationships among outcome measures within groups were examined with Pearson correlations, and multiple regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between BP and thresholds, controlling for age, BMI-Z score, and dietary salt intake. Results Salt and MSG thresholds were positively correlated (r(71)=0.30, p=0.01) and did not differ between body-weight groups (p>0.20). Controlling for age, BMI-Z score, and salt intake, systolic BP was associated with NaCl thresholds among normal-weight children (p=0.01), but not among overweight/obese children. All children consumed excess salt (>8 g/day). Grain and meat products were the primary source of dietary sodium. Conclusions The apparent disruption in the relationship between salty taste response and BP among overweight/obese children suggests the relationship

  16. Copy number variations in "classical" obesity candidate genes are not frequently associated with severe early-onset obesity in children.

    PubMed

    Windholz, Jan; Kovacs, Peter; Schlicke, Marina; Franke, Christin; Mahajan, Anubha; Morris, Andrew P; Lemke, Johannes R; Klammt, Jürgen; Kiess, Wieland; Schöneberg, Torsten; Pfäffle, Roland; Körner, Antje

    2017-05-01

    Obesity is genetically heterogeneous and highly heritable, although polymorphisms explain the phenotype in only a small proportion of obese children. We investigated the presence of copy number variations (CNVs) in "classical" genes known to be associated with (monogenic) early-onset obesity in children. In 194 obese Caucasian children selected for early-onset and severe obesity from our obesity cohort we screened for deletions and/or duplications by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification reaction (MLPA). As we found one MLPA probe to interfere with a polymorphism in SIM1 we investigated its association with obesity and other phenotypic traits in our extended cohort of 2305 children. In the selected subset of most severely obese children, we did not find CNV with MLPA in POMC, LEP, LEPR, MC4R, MC3R or MC2R genes. However, one SIM1 probe located at exon 9 gave signals suggestive for SIM1 insufficiency in 52 patients. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis identified this as a false positive result due to interference with single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs3734354/rs3734355. We, therefore, investigated for associations of this polymorphism with obesity and metabolic traits in our extended cohort. We found rs3734354/rs3734355 to be associated with body mass index-standard deviation score (BMI-SDS) (p = 0.003), but not with parameters of insulin metabolism, blood pressure or food intake. In our modest sample of severely obese children, we were unable to find CNVs in well-established monogenic obesity genes. Nevertheless, we found an association of rs3734354 in SIM1 with obesity of early-onset type in children, although not with obesity-related traits.

  17. [Influence of a program of physical activity in children and obese adolescents with sleep apnea; study protocol].

    PubMed

    Aguilar Cordero, M J; Sánchez López, A M; Mur Villar, N; Sánchez Marenco, A; Guisado Barrilao, R

    2013-01-01

    Recent studies show an alarming increase in the rate of overweight / obesity among the infant - juvenile population. Obesity in childhood is associated with a significant number of complications, such as sleep apnea syndrome, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and some cancers. It is estimated that the prevalence of sleep apnea in children is 2-3% in the general population, while in obese adolescents, varies between 13% and 66%, according to various studies. It is associated with impairment of neurocognitive function, behavior, cardiovascular system, metabolic disorders and growth. Sleep apnea is a serious public health problem that increases when children and adolescents are overweight or obese. We hypothesize that aerobic endurance exercise can be an effective treatment for obesity and apnea at the same time. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of physical activity in children and adolescents with overweight / obesity in sleep apnea. An observational, descriptive, prospective, longitudinal study will be carried out in children with sleep apnea and obesity. The universe will be made up of 60 children and adolescents aged between 10 and 18 years, attending the endocrinology service for suffering of obesity in the Hospital Clinico San Cecilio of Granada during the period September 2012-September 2013. The smple will consist of children and adolescents that meet these characteristics and to whom their parents/tutors have authorized through the informed consent. Sleep apnea in children wil be measured by polysomnography and sleep quality questionnaire. There will also be a nutritional assessment by a food frequency questionnaire and an anthropometric assessment. Among the expected results are the lower overweight and obesity in children through the physical activity program. To reduce apnea and to improve sleep quality. Copyright © AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2013. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

  18. Obesity, appearance, and psychosocial adaptation in young African American children.

    PubMed

    Young-Hyman, Deborah; Schlundt, David G; Herman-Wenderoth, Leanna; Bozylinski, Khristine

    2003-01-01

    To evaluate the contributions of weight status, skin tone, peer teasing, and parental appraisals of child's size to self-esteem and psychosocial adjustment in overweight African American children. Overweight to very obese 5- to 10-year-old African American children (N = 117) completed measures of self-esteem, skin tone satisfaction, peer teasing, and body size perception. Caregivers completed the Child Behavior Checklist and rated their child's body size. Overweight was associated with low appearance self-esteem, and body size dissatisfaction with low global self-worth and low appearance self-esteem in children 8 and older. Appearance self-esteem but not global self-worth was lower in girls than boys. Parental perception of child's size as heavier than average was associated with low child appearance self-esteem. Heavier children also had more parental report of behavior and psychosocial problems, but their scores were in the nonclinical range. Child skin tone dissatisfaction was associated with low global self-worth. Weight-related peer teasing was associated with low self-esteem. The relationship between obesity and self-esteem in African American children depends upon age, gender, and children's experiences with teasing and parental evaluation of their size. Other factors, like skin tone satisfaction, contribute to a child's sense of self-worth.

  19. [Prevention and treatment of obesity in children].

    PubMed

    Togashi, Kenji; Iguchi, Kosei; Masuda, Hidenari

    2013-02-01

    The prevalence of childhood obesity and its comorbidities is high in Japan. Increasing prevalence of obesity among children emphasizes the importance of focusing on primary prevention to avoid health complications later in life. We emphasize the prevention of obesity by recommending breast-feeding of infants for at least 6 months and advocating that schools provide for 60 min of moderate to vigorous daily exercise in all grades. Treatment interventions include behavioral therapy, reduction in sedentary behavior, and dietary and exercise education. After dietary treatment combined with exercise treatment, the areas of subcutaneous and visceral fat decreased significantly. These data suggest that dietary treatment combined with exercise treatment in obese children normalizes the distribution of abdominal fat and reduces the risk factors for chronic disease.

  20. High prevalence of overweight and obesity among a representative sample of Puerto Rican children.

    PubMed

    Elías-Boneta, Augusto R; Toro, Milagros J; Garcia, Omar; Torres, Roxana; Palacios, Cristina

    2015-03-05

    The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity has become a public health problem worldwide. The objectives of the study were: 1) to establish the BMI prevalence in 12-year olds residing in Puerto Rico, and 2) to determine BMI differences by sex, public-private school type, and geographic regions. Data was obtained from an island-wide probabilistic stratified sample of 1,582 twelve-year-olds (53% girls and 47% boys). The BMI was determined using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey procedures. Children were categorized as underweight, healthy weight, overweight or obese using the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's age and gender specific growth charts. A logistic regression model was used to estimate BMI category prevalence. Odds ratios were calculated using a multinomial regression. In this study, 18.8% of the children were overweight and 24.3% were obese. A higher prevalence of obesity was observed in boys as compared to girls, 28.2% vs. 20.2%, respectively. The estimated prevalence of overweight and obesity in children from public schools was lower than for those from private schools. After adjusting for type of school and region, boys had a significantly higher risk of being obese (64%) as compared to girls. In public schools, boys had a lower prevalence of being overweight while girls had a higher prevalence compared to children attending private schools. Girls attending private schools had a higher obesity prevalence (27.8%) compared to girls from public schools (19.8%). The prevalence of underweight (2.7%) is slightly lower than in the United States. The prevalence of overweight and obesity of 12-year-olds residing in PR was 18.8% and 24.3%, respectively; higher than in the U.S. (by groups). Boys were at higher risk of obesity than girls. There is an urgent need to implement public health policies/programs to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children in PR.

  1. In Utero DDT and DDE Exposure and Obesity Status of 7-Year-Old Mexican-American Children in the CHAMACOS Cohort

    PubMed Central

    Schall, Raul Aguilar; Harley, Kim G.; Bradman, Asa; Barr, Dana; Eskenazi, Brenda

    2013-01-01

    Background: In utero exposure to endocrine disrupting compounds including dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) has been hypothesized to increase risk of obesity later in life. Objectives: The Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS) study is a longitudinal birth cohort of low-income Latinas living in a California agricultural community. We examined the relation of in utero DDT and DDE exposure to child obesity at 7 years of age. We also examined the trend with age (2, 3.5, 5, and 7 years) in the exposure–obesity relation. Methods: We included 270 children with o,p´-DDT, p,p´-DDT, and p,p´-DDE concentrations measured in maternal serum during pregnancy (nanograms per gram lipid) and complete 7-year follow-up data including weight (kilograms) and height (centimeters). Body mass index (BMI; kilograms per meter squared) was calculated and obesity was defined as ≥ 95th percentile on the sex-specific BMI-for-age Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2000 growth charts. Results: At 7 years, 96 (35.6%) children were obese. A 10-fold increase in o,p´-DDT, p,p´-DDT, or p,p´-DDE, was nonsignificantly associated with increased odds (OR) of obesity [o,p´-DDT adjusted (adj-) OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 0.75, 1.82; p,p´-DDT adj-OR = 1.19, 95% CI: 0.81, 1.74; p,p´-DDE adj-OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 0.72, 2.06]. With increasing age at follow-up, we observed a significant trend toward a positive association between DDT and DDE exposure and odds of obesity. Conclusion: We did not find a significant positive relation between in utero DDT and DDE exposure and obesity status of 7-year-old children. However, given the observed trend with age, continued follow-up will be informative. PMID:23512307

  2. Effect of folic acid supplementation on plasma homocysteine in obese children: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Iamopas, Orawan; Ratanachu-ek, Suntaree; Chomtho, Sirinuch

    2014-06-01

    Obese children tend to consume less dietary folate, which is an important cofactor in remethylation of homocysteine to methionine. The deficiency of folate can lead to hyperhomocysteinemia. To determine whether folic acid supplementation could reduce plasma homocysteine in obese children. Obese children, aged 9-15 years with body mass index > median plus 2 SD according to WHO reference, were randomly assigned to 2 groups: receiving either 5 mg folic acid or placebo for 2 months. Fasting homocysteine, creatinine, folate, vitamin B12, insulin, glucose and lipid profiles were taken at baseline and the end of the study. Dietary vitamin B12, folate intake and physical activity were assessed using validated questionnaires. Fifty obese children (31 boys and 19 girls) took part in the study. Their mean age was 10.9 ± 1.6 years and mean BMI Z-score was 3.41 ± 0.69. After the intervention, plasma homocysteine decreased by 15.75% and 6.99% in the folic acid and placebo group, respectively (mean difference 8.76%; 95% CI: 0.26%, 17.25%, p = 0.044). This divergence was more pronounced in boys and it remained significant after adjusting for baseline homocysteine and other confounders. Subgroup analysis showed a larger magnitude of plasma homocysteine reduction in the low folate group (mean difference 12.24%; 95% CI: 1.39%, 23.09%). The homocysteine lowering effect of folic acid supplementation was found in obese children, especially in boys and those with low serum folate. Further long-term interventional studies are needed to determine the effects of the lowered plasma homocysteine on the cardiovascular outcomes of obese children. This trial was registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01766310).

  3. Obesity Prevention for Children with Developmental Disabilities

    PubMed Central

    Curtin, Carol; Hubbard, Kristie; Sikich, Linmarie; Bedford, James; Bandini, Linda

    2014-01-01

    The prevention of obesity in children with DD is a pressing public health issue, with implications for health status, independent living, and quality of life. Substantial evidence suggests that children with developmental disabilities (DD), including those with intellectual disabilities (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), have a prevalence of obesity at least as high if not higher than their typically developing peers. The paper reviews what is known about the classic and unique risk factors for childhood obesity in these groups of children, including dietary, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and family factors, as well as medication use. We use evidence from the literature to make the case that primary prevention at the individual/family, school and community levels will require tailoring of strategies and adapting existing intervention approaches. PMID:25530916

  4. Laboratory assessment of cardiometabolic risk in overweight and obese children.

    PubMed

    Sypniewska, Grazyna

    2015-04-01

    Childhood obesity has been identified as one of the most important risk factors of developing cardiovascular diseases. The global prevalence of overweight and obesity among children shows an increasing tendency. Many of overweight or obese children will become obese adults with enhanced risk for cardiovascular diseases. Childhood obesity is often accompanied by serious consequences such as dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, pro-inflammatory state and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Hypertension, high LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, insulin resistance, inflammation and disturbances in adipocytokines secretion are associated with endothelial dysfunction which precedes the development of atherosclerosis. Obese children and adolescents with a clinically-proven non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which is currently recognized as the hepatic component of metabolic syndrome, are at more severe cardiovascular risk compared with normal-weight. Obesity-related insulin resistance is highly prevalent in children and adolescents, and is associated with the increased lifetime risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Adipokines contribute to obesity-atherosclerosis relationships yet among several recently discovered adipokines only few (adiponectin, resistin, chemerin, fibroblast growth factor 21, apelin) have been partly studied in obese pediatric population. The aim of this review was to describe the spectrum of cardiovascular abnormalities observed in children with overweight and obesity and the role of laboratory in the assessment of cardiometabolic risk in order to differentiate between healthy obese and those at risk to most effectively prevent progression of cardiovascular disease in childhood. Copyright © 2015 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Children's perceptions of weight, obesity, nutrition, physical activity and related health and socio-behavioural factors.

    PubMed

    Economos, Christina D; Bakun, Peter J; Herzog, Julia Bloom; Dolan, Peter R; Lynskey, Vanessa M; Markow, Dana; Sharma, Shanti; Nelson, Miriam E

    2014-01-01

    Approximately one-third of children in the USA are either overweight or obese. Understanding the perceptions of children is an important factor in reversing this trend. An online survey was conducted with children to capture their perceptions of weight, overweight, nutrition, physical activity and related socio-behavioural factors. Within the USA. US children (n 1224) aged 8-18 years. Twenty-seven per cent of children reported being overweight; 47·1% of children overestimated the rate of overweight/obesity among US children. A higher percentage of self-classified overweight children (81·9%) worried about weight than did self-classified under/normal weight children (31·1%). Most children (91·1%) felt that it was important to not be overweight, for both health-related and social-related reasons. The majority of children believed that if someone their age is overweight they will likely be overweight in adulthood (93·1%); get an illness such as diabetes or heart disease in adulthood (90·2%); not be able to play sports well (84·5%); and be teased or made fun of in school (87·8%). Children focused more on food/drink than physical activity as reasons for overweight at their age. Self-classified overweight children were more likely to have spoken with someone about their weight over the last year than self-classified under/normal weight children. Children demonstrated good understanding of issues regarding weight, overweight, nutrition, physical activity and related socio-behavioural factors. Their perceptions are important and can be helpful in crafting solutions that will resonate with children.

  6. Does Cardiorespiratory Fitness Attenuate the Adverse Effects of Severe/Morbid Obesity on Cardiometabolic Risk and Insulin Resistance in Children? A Pooled Analysis.

    PubMed

    Nyström, Christine Delisle; Henriksson, Pontus; Martínez-Vizcaíno, Vicente; Medrano, María; Cadenas-Sanchez, Cristina; Arias-Palencia, Natalia María; Löf, Marie; Ruiz, Jonatan R; Labayen, Idoia; Sánchez-López, Mairena; Ortega, Francisco B

    2017-11-01

    To investigate 1 ) differences in cardiometabolic risk and HOMA of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) across BMI categories (underweight to morbid obesity), 2 ) whether fit children have lower cardiometabolic risk/HOMA-IR than unfit children in each BMI category, and 3 ) differences in cardiometabolic risk/HOMA-IR in normal-weight unfit children and obese fit children. A pooled study including cross-sectional data from three projects ( n = 1,247 children aged 8-11 years). Cardiometabolic risk was assessed using the sum of the sex- and age-specific z scores for triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, glucose, and the average of systolic and diastolic blood pressure and HOMA-IR. A significant linear association was observed between the risk score and BMI categories ( P trend ≤0.001), with every incremental rise in BMI category being associated with a 0.5 SD higher risk score (standardized β = 0.474, P < 0.001). A trend was found showing that as BMI categories rose, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) attenuated the risk score, with the biggest differences observed in the most obese children (-0.8 SD); however, this attenuation was significant only in mild obesity (-0.2 SD, P = 0.048). Normal-weight unfit children had a significantly lower risk score than obese fit children ( P < 0.001); however, a significant reduction in the risk score was found in obese fit compared with unfit children (-0.4 SD, P = 0.027). Similar results were obtained for HOMA-IR. As BMI categories rose so did cardiometabolic risk and HOMA-IR, which highlights the need for obesity prevention/treatment programs in childhood. Furthermore, CRF may play an important role in lowering the risk of cardiometabolic diseases in obese children. © 2017 by the American Diabetes Association.

  7. Circulating endothelial progenitor cells in obese children and adolescents.

    PubMed

    Pires, António; Martins, Paula; Paiva, Artur; Pereira, Ana Margarida; Marques, Margarida; Castela, Eduardo; Sena, Cristina; Seiça, Raquel

    2015-01-01

    This study aimed to investigate the relationship between circulating endothelial progenitor cell count and endothelial activation in a pediatric population with obesity. Observational and transversal study, including 120 children and adolescents with primary obesity of both sexes, aged 6-17 years, who were recruited at this Cardiovascular Risk Clinic. The control group was made up of 41 children and adolescents with normal body mass index. The variables analyzed were: age, gender, body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, lipid profile, leptin, adiponectin, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, E-selectin, asymmetric dimethylarginine and circulating progenitor endothelial cell count. Insulin resistance was correlated to asymmetric dimethylarginine (ρ=0.340; p=0.003), which was directly, but weakly correlated to E-selectin (ρ=0.252; p=0.046). High sensitivity C-reactive protein was not found to be correlated to markers of endothelial activation. Systolic blood pressure was directly correlated to body mass index (ρ=0.471; p<0.001) and the homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (ρ=0.230; p=0.012), and inversely correlated to adiponectin (ρ=-0.331; p<0.001) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (ρ=-0.319; p<0.001). Circulating endothelial progenitor cell count was directly, but weakly correlated, to body mass index (r=0.211; p=0.016), leptin (ρ=0.245; p=0.006), triglyceride levels (r=0.241; p=0.031), and E-selectin (ρ=0.297; p=0.004). Circulating endothelial progenitor cell count is elevated in obese children and adolescents with evidence of endothelial activation, suggesting that, during infancy, endothelial repairing mechanisms are present in the context of endothelial activation. Copyright © 2015 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  8. Relation of insulin resistance to neurocognitive function and electroencephalography in obese children.

    PubMed

    Akın, Onur; Eker, İbrahim; Arslan, Mutluay; Yavuz, Süleyman Tolga; Akman, Sevil; Taşçılar, Mehmet Emre; Ünay, Bülent

    2017-10-26

    Childhood obesity may lead to neuronal impairment in both the peripheral and the central nervous system. This study aimed to investigate the impact of obesity and insulin resistance (IR) on the central nervous system and neurocognitive functions in children. Seventy-three obese children (38 male and 35 female) and 42 healthy children (21 male and 21 female) were recruited. Standard biochemical indices and IR were evaluated. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) and electroencephalography (EEG) were administered to all participants. The obese participants were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of IR, and the data were compared between the subgroups. Only verbal scores on the WISC-R in the IR+ group were significantly lower than those of the control and IR- groups. There were no differences between the groups with respect to other parameters of the WISC-R or the EEG. Verbal scores of the WISC-R were negatively correlated with obesity duration and homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) values. EEGs showed significantly more frequent 'slowing during hyperventilation' (SDHs) in obese children than non-obese children. Neurocognitive functions, particularly verbal abilities, were impaired in obese children with IR. An early examination of cognitive functions may help identify and correct such abnormalities in obese children.

  9. Serum adiposity-induced biomarkers in obese and lean children with recently diagnosed autoimmune type 1 diabetes.

    PubMed

    Redondo, M J; Rodriguez, L M; Haymond, M W; Hampe, C S; Smith, E O; Balasubramanyam, A; Devaraj, S

    2014-12-01

    Obesity increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetic complications in type 1 diabetes. Adipokines, which regulate obesity-induced inflammation, may contribute to this association. We compared serum adipokines and inflammatory cytokines in obese and lean children with new-onset autoimmune type 1 diabetes. We prospectively studied 32 lean and 18 obese children (age range: 2-18 yr) with new-onset autoimmune type 1 diabetes and followed them for up to 2 yr. Serum adipokines [leptin, total and high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin, omentin, resistin, chemerin, visfatin], cytokines [interferon (IFN)-gamma, interleukin (IL)-10, IL-12, IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha] and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured at a median of 7 wk after diagnosis (range: 3-16 wk). Lean children were 71.9% non-Hispanic White, 21.9% Hispanic, and 6.3% African-American, compared with 27.8, 55.6, and 16.7%, respectively, for obese children (p = 0.01). Compared with lean children, obese children had significantly higher serum leptin, visfatin, chemerin, TNF-alpha and CRP, and lower total adiponectin and omentin after adjustment for race/ethnicity and Tanner stage. African-American race was independently associated with higher leptin among youth ≥10 yr (p = 0.007). Leptin levels at onset positively correlated with hemoglobin A1c after 1-2 yr (p = 0.0001) independently of body mass index, race/ethnicity, and diabetes duration. Higher TNF-alpha was associated with obesity and female gender, after adjustment for race/ethnicity (p = 0.0003). Obese children with new-onset autoimmune type 1 diabetes have a proinflammatory profile of circulating adipokines and cytokines that may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease and diabetic complications. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Short sleep duration is independently associated with overweight and obesity in Quebec children.

    PubMed

    Chaput, Jean-Philippe; Lambert, Marie; Gray-Donald, Katherine; McGrath, Jennifer J; Tremblay, Mark S; O'Loughlin, Jennifer; Tremblay, Angelo

    2011-01-01

    To investigate the association of sleep duration with adiposity and to determine if caloric intake and physical activity mediate this relationship. The Quebec Adiposity and Lifestyle Investigation in Youth (QUALITY) study is an ongoing longitudinal investigation of Caucasian children with at least one obese biological parent. Children (n = 550) with an average age of 9.6 years (SD = 0.9) who provided complete data at baseline were included in the cross-sectional analyses. Objective measures of adiposity (BMI Z-score, waist circumference, percent body fat measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), sleep duration and physical activity (accelerometer over 7 days), and diet (24-hour food recalls) were collected. Children were categorized into 4 groups according to sleep duration: < 10 hours, 10-10.9 hours, 11-11.9 hours, and > or = 12 hours of sleep per night. We observed a U-shaped relationship between sleep duration and all adiposity indices. None of energy intake, snacking, screen time or physical activity intensity differed significantly between sleep categories. After adjusting for age, sex, Tanner stage, highest educational level of the parents, total annual family income, and parental BMI, only short-duration sleepers (< 10 hours) had an increased odds of overweight/obesity (OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.16-3.67). Addition of total energy intake and physical activity to the model did not change the association substantially (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.15-3.63). The present study provides evidence that short sleep duration is a risk factor for overweight and obesity in children, independent of potential covariates. These results further emphasize the need to add sleep duration to the determinants of obesity.

  11. The Future of Children: Spring 2006. Childhood Obesity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Paxson, Christina, Ed.; Donahue, Elisabeth, Ed.; Orleans, Tracy, Ed.; Grisso, Jeane Ann, Ed.

    2006-01-01

    The third volume of "The Future of Children" examines the causes and consequences of increasing rates of obesity and overweight among children. It also reviews specific policies and programs aimed at reducing obesity and overweight and the related health problems that result. Contents include: (1) Introducing the Issue (Christina Paxson, Elisabeth…

  12. Effects of a Gestational Weight Gain Restriction Program for Obese Pregnant Women: Children's Weight Development during the First Five Years of Life.

    PubMed

    Claesson, Ing-Marie; Sydsjö, Gunilla; Olhager, Elisabeth; Oldin, Carin; Josefsson, Ann

    2016-06-01

    Maternal prepregnancy obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m(2)) and excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) have shown a strong positive association with a higher BMI and risk of obesity in the offspring. The aim of this study is to estimate the effect of a GWG restriction program for obese pregnant women on the children's BMI at 5 years of age and weight-for-length/height (WL/H) development from 2 months of age until 5 years of age. This was a follow-up study of 302 children (137 children in an intervention group and 165 children in a control group) whose mothers participated in a weight gain restriction program during pregnancy. BMI at five years of age did not differ between girls and boys in the intervention and control group. The degree of maternal GWG, <7 kg or ≥7 kg, did not affect the offspring's WL/H. Compared with Swedish reference data, just over half of the children in both the intervention and control group had a BMI within the average range, whereas slightly more than one-third of the children had a higher BMI. Despite a comprehensive gestational intervention program for obese women containing individual weekly visits and opportunity to participate in aqua aerobic classes, there were no differences between BMI or weight development among the offspring at 5 years of age in the intervention and control group.

  13. The impact of obesity on febrile urinary tract infection and renal scarring in children with vesicoureteral reflux.

    PubMed

    Byun, H J; Ha, J Y; Jung, W; Kim, B H; Park, C H; Kim, C I

    2017-02-01

    It has become clear that obesity is associated with a variety of infectious diseases, including urinary tract infection (UTI) and renal scarring. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between obesity and the degree of febrile UTI (fUTI) and renal scarring in children with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), and to stratify the results into obesity subcategories. A total of 186 patients were diagnosed with VUR between January 2002 and December 2008. This study retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 72 children with primary VUR who had recurrent fUTI (more than twice). Overweight or obese status of the patients aged <2 years was defined using weight-for-length (WFL) measurements. For 2-5 year old children, body mass index (BMI) percentile-for-age was used. They were divided into three groups as follows; standard (<85%), overweight (85-95%), and obese (≥95%). The following clinical variables were compared: age at diagnosis of primary VUR (months), sex, VUR grade, hydronephrosis grade, presence of renal scarring, surgical treatment, and degree of inflammation during fUTI. In the overweight and obese groups, VUR was diagnosed at a young age (P = 0.05), the degree of renal scarring was more severe (P = 0.006), and serum white blood cell count, C-reactive protein, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) levels were significantly higher (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P < 0.001, respectively). Abnormal focal dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) defects were present in 25 of the 72 children (35%). Cortical defects occurred more frequently in children with obesity, and they were associated with a higher grade of reflux and serum ESR levels (P = 0.007, P = 0.042, and P = 0.021, respectively). Among these risk factors, high-grade VUR (OR = 9.93, 95% CI = 1.13-86.71), and being overweight and obese (OR = 5.26, 95% CI = 1.75-15.82) were associated with increased renal scarring. However, ESR was not associated with renal scarring (OR = 1.01, 95

  14. Association between gamma glutamyl transferase and insulin resistance markers in healthy obese children.

    PubMed

    Kaushik, Girdhar Gopal; Sharm, Sonali; Sharma, Reenu; Mittal, Prerna

    2009-10-01

    To study the relationship of gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) with insulin resistance markers [fasting insulin and Homeostasis Model Assessment of-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR)] and to assess the role of GGT as a determinant of insulin resistance in healthy obese children. Fifty healthy obese children (boys and girls with mean age 9.2 +/- 0.73 and 8.8 +/- 0.74 years) born to diabetic mothers were studied. In all the subjects, anthropometric measurements viz, BMI and body weight were studied. The biochemical parameters analysed in fasting samples of subjects were plasma glucose, plasma insulin, serum GGT and calculation of HOMA-IR. The fifty studied subjects belonged to age group 8 to12 years. The difference in mean age of boys and girls was not significant (p = 0.09). Body weight values in all subjects ranged from 20 to 78 kgs and BMI values ranged from 14.5 to 42.1 Kg/m2. No significant difference was observed between body weight and BMI values when compared between boys and girls. A similar trend was observed in the values of biochemical parameters viz, fasting glucose, fasting insulin and HOMA-IR levels when compared between boys and girls (p = 0.72, p = 0.80, p = 0.59). Serum GGT correlated significantly with age, body weight, BMI, fasting insulin and HOMA-IR levels. HOMA-IR values also showed significant correlation with body weight, BMI, fasting glucose and fasting insulin levels. The association of GGT with fasting insulin and HOMA-IR levels was considerably significant compared to its association with other variables. The serum activity of GGT remained correlated with HOMA-IR even after removing the effect of BMI, weight and age on GGT values. The results showed that GGT is a determinant of HOMA-IR independently of age, BMI and weight. A correlation exists between GGT and insulin resistance markers. The observed correlation indicates that monitoring GGT and fasting insulin levels in obese children might serve to help prevent the development of diabetes in

  15. Perception of body weight status: a case control study of obese and lean children and adolescents and their parents.

    PubMed

    Rudolph, Hagen; Blüher, Susann; Falkenberg, Christian; Neef, Madlen; Körner, Antje; Würz, Julia; Kiess, Wieland; Brähler, Elmar

    2010-01-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate differences in weight perception and self-concept of obese and lean children, and to examine parents' awareness of overweight in themselves and their children. A total of 59 obese patients aged 7-17 years and 49 of their parents from a pediatric obesity out-patient clinic participated and were compared with 96 normal-weight patients and 81 of their parents from a pediatric pulmonary disease out-patient clinic. Children's and parents' self-perception of weight, desire for weight change and weight concerns, children's belief that their desired weight can be achieved, and parents' perception of their child's weight status were assessed using single questionnaire items. Children's self-concept was measured by the Self-Perception Profile for Children. In addition, children drew pictures about themselves and their favorite activity. Obese patients wished to change their weight more frequently (p < 0.001) and had more weight concerns (p < 0.001). Their self-concept was significantly more negative. Physical activities were more common in their drawings than in those of normal-weight peers. Parents of obese children were more frequently overweight or obese themselves (p < 0.001). 35 of them and 73 parents of normal-weight children perceived their own weight realistically. Of the parents with overweight or obese children, 69.4% perceived their own child as overweight and 28.6% as very overweight, whereas 83% of them were obese. Children and adolescents as well as their parents recognize overweight as a health problem. In the majority, weight perception matches real body weight. Most parents at least recognize overweight in their children. Copyright 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  16. Factors that Limit and Enable Preschool-Aged Children's Physical Activity on Child Care Centre Playgrounds

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coleman, Bianca; Dyment, Janet E.

    2013-01-01

    The incidence of childhood obesity amongst preschool-aged children has increased dramatically in recent years and can be attributed, in part, to a lack of physical activity amongst children in this age group. This study explores the social factors that stand to limit and/or enable children's physical activity opportunities in outdoor settings in…

  17. Maternal pre-pregnancy obesity and risk for inattention and negative emotionality in children.

    PubMed

    Rodriguez, Alina

    2010-02-01

    This study aimed to replicate and extend previous work showing an association between maternal pre-pregnancy adiposity and risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children. A Swedish population-based prospective pregnancy-offspring cohort was followed up when children were 5 years old (N = 1,714). Mothers and kindergarten teachers rated children's ADHD symptoms, presence and duration of problems, and emotionality. Dichotomized outcomes examined difficulties of clinical relevance (top 15% of the distribution). Analyses adjusted for pregnancy (maternal smoking, depressive symptoms, life events, education, age, family structure), birth outcomes (birth weight, gestational age, infant sex) and concurrent variables (family structure, maternal depressive symptoms, parental ADHD symptoms, and child overweight) in an attempt to rule out confounding. Maternal pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity predicted high inattention symptom scores and obesity was associated with a two-fold increase in risk of difficulties with emotion intensity and emotion regulation according to teacher reports. Means of maternal ratings were unrelated to pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI). Presence and duration of problems were associated with both maternal over and underweight according to teachers. Despite discrepancies between maternal and teacher reports, these results provide further evidence that maternal pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity are associated with child inattention symptoms and extend previous work by establishing a link between obesity and emotional difficulties. Maternal adiposity at the time of conception may be instrumental in programming child mental health, as prenatal brain development depends on maternal energy supply. Possible mechanisms include disturbed maternal metabolic function. If maternal pre-pregnancy obesity is a causal risk factor, the potential for prevention is great.

  18. Obesity Increases Operative Time in Children Undergoing Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy.

    PubMed

    Pandian, T K; Ubl, Daniel S; Habermann, Elizabeth B; Moir, Christopher R; Ishitani, Michael B

    2017-03-01

    Few studies have assessed the impact of obesity on laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in pediatric patients. Children who underwent LC were identified from the 2012 to 2013 American College of Surgeons' National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Pediatrics data. Patient characteristics, operative details, and outcomes were compared. Multivariable logistic regression was utilized to identify predictors of increased operative time (OT) and duration of anesthesia (DOAn). In total, 1757 patients were identified. Due to low rates of obesity in children <9 years old, analyses were limited to those 9-17 (n = 1611, 43% obese). Among obese children, 80.6% were girls. A higher proportion of obese patients had diabetes (3.0% versus 1.0%, P < .01) and contaminated or dirty/infected wounds (15.1% versus 9.4%, P < .01). Complication rates were low. The most frequent indications for surgery were cholelithiasis/biliary colic (34.3%), chronic cholecystitis (26.9%), and biliary dyskinesia (18.2%). On multivariable analysis, obesity was an independent predictor of OT >90 (odds ratio [OR] 2.02; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.55-2.63), and DOAn >140 minutes (OR 1.86; 95% CI 1.42-2.43). Obesity is an independent risk factor for increased OT in children undergoing LC. Pediatric surgeons and anesthesiologists should be prepared for the technical and physiological challenges that obesity may pose in this patient population.

  19. Dietary predictors of childhood obesity in a representative sample of children in north east of Iran.

    PubMed

    Baygi, Fereshteh; Qorbani, Mostafa; Dorosty, Ahmad Reza; Kelishadi, Roya; Asayesh, Hamid; Rezapour, Aziz; Mohammadi, Younes; Mohammadi, Fatemeh

    2013-07-01

    The prevalence of obesity is increasing in Iranian youngsters. This study aimed to assess some dietary determinants of obesity in a representative sample of children in Neishabour, a city in northeastern, Iran. This case-control study was conducted among 114 school students, aged 6-12 years, with a body mass index (BMI) ≥95th (based on percentile of Iranian children) as the case group and 102 age- and gender-matched controls, who were selected from their non-obese classmates. Nutrient intake data were collected by trained nutritionists by using two 24-hour-dietary recalls through maternal interviews in the presence of their child. A food frequency questionnaire was used for detecting the snack consumption patterns. Statistical analysis was done using univariate and multivariate logistic regression (MLR) by SPSS version 16. In univariate logistic regression, total energy, protein, carbohydrate, fat (including saturated, mono- and poly-unsaturated fat), and dietary fiber were the positive predictors of obesity in studied children. The estimated crude ORs for frequency of corn-based extruded snacks, carbonated beverages, potato chips, fast foods, and chocolate consumption were statistically significant. After MLR analysis, the association of obesity remained significant with energy intake (OR = 2.489, 95%CI: 1.667-3.716), frequency of corn-based extruded snacks (OR = 1.122, 95%CI: 1.007-1.250), and potato chips (OR = 1.143, 95%CI:1.024-1.276). The MLR analysis showed that dietary fiber (OR = 0.601, 95%CI: 0.368-0.983) and natural fruit juice intake (OR = 0.909, 95%CI: 0.835-0.988) were protective factors against obesity. The findings serve to confirm the role of an unhealthy diet, notably calorie-dense snacks, in childhood obesity. Healthy dietary habits, such as the consumption of high-fiber foods, should be encouraged among children.

  20. Obesity-promoting factors in Mexican children and adolescents: challenges and opportunities

    PubMed Central

    Aceves-Martins, Magaly; Llauradó, Elisabet; Tarro, Lucia; Solà, Rosa; Giralt, Montse

    2016-01-01

    Background Mexico is a developing country with one of the highest youth obesity rates worldwide; >34% of children and adolescents between 5 and 19 years of age are overweight or obese. Objectives The current review seeks to compile, describe, and analyze dietary conditions, physical activity, socioeconomic status, and cultural factors that create and exacerbate an obesogenic environment among Mexican youth. Design A narrative review was performed using PubMed and the Cochrane Library databases, as well as grey literature data from the Mexican government, academics, and statistical reports from nongovernmental organizations, included in electronic formats. Results The recent socioeconomic and nutritional transition has resulted in reduced healthy meal options at public schools, high rates of sedentary lifestyles among adolescents, lack of open spaces and playgrounds, socioeconomic deprivation, false or misunderstood sociocultural traditional beliefs, misconceptions about health, a high percentage of overweight or obese adults, and low rates of maternal breastfeeding. Some of the factors identified are exacerbating the obesity problem in this population. Current evidence also shows that more policies and health programs are needed for prevention of childhood and adolescent obesity. Mexico presents alarming obesity levels, which need to be curtailed and urgently reversed. Conclusions The present narrative review presents an overview of dietary, physical activity, societal and cultural preconceptions that are potentially modifiable obesity-promoting factors in Mexican youth. Measures to control these factors need to be implemented in all similar developing countries by governments, policy makers, stakeholders, and health care professionals to tackle obesity in children and young people. PMID:26787421