Obesity in Childhood and Adolescence: Etiology, Prevention and Treatment

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 September 2024 | Viewed by 4230

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Physical Education, Sport Science and Dietetics, University of Thessaly, 42132 Trikala, Greece
Interests: human nutrition; dietetics; childhood obesity; non communicable diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
1. Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, First Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, “Aghia Sophia” Children’s Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece
2. Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Center of Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Interests: childhood obesity; adolescent endocrinology; growth disorders; disorders of sex development; gender dysphoria; anorexia nervosa; stress-related disorders; molecular mechanisms of glucocorticoid action
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The prevalence of overweight and obesity has significantly increased over the past few decades and is linked to metabolic diseases across the lifespan. Its etiology has been attributed to a large number of sociodemographic, behavioral (e.g., unhealthy nutrition, low levels of physical activity), perinatal, and clinical risk factors, which are active from childhood and adolescence. Still, their exact role, interplay, and mechanisms implicated in this process remain unclear. The trends in childhood obesity call for actions regarding the prevention and management of this disease early in life.

The Special Issue, “Obesity in Childhood and Adolescence: Etiology, Prevention and Treatment”, aims to host original articles, (systematic) reviews, and meta-analyses that will advance the current knowledge on the role of health behaviors, especially of nutrition, on the development of overweight or obesity in childhood and adolescence, provide valuable information about the nutritional habits of overweight/obese children and adolescents, and describe novel approaches via lifestyle modification for the prevention and/or management of obesity in youth.

Dr. Odysseas Androutsos
Prof. Dr. Evangelia Charmandari
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • childhood obesity
  • nutrition
  • diet
  • determinants
  • risk factors
  • energy-balance-related behaviors
  • prevention
  • treatment
  • management

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 1325 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Role of Serum Osteonectin and Hsp27 in Pediatric MAFLD Diagnosis and Cardiometabolic Health
by Anca Bălănescu, Paul-Cristian Bălănescu, Ioana Florentina Codreanu, Iustina-Violeta Stan, Valentina-Daniela Comanici, Alina Maria Robu and Tatiana Ciomârtan
Nutrients 2024, 16(6), 866; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16060866 - 16 Mar 2024
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Abstract
Background: Childhood obesity is one of the major challenges of public health policies. The problem of fatty liver in childhood, known as MAFLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease), is of particular interest as the gold standard diagnosis technique is invasive (liver biopsy). Hence, [...] Read more.
Background: Childhood obesity is one of the major challenges of public health policies. The problem of fatty liver in childhood, known as MAFLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease), is of particular interest as the gold standard diagnosis technique is invasive (liver biopsy). Hence, efforts are made to discover more specific biomarkers for the MAFLD signature. Therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate Osteonectin and Hsp27 as biomarkers for MAFLD diagnosis and to assess their links with auxological and biochemical profiles of overweight and obese pediatric subjects. Methods: A cross-sectional study in which we (re)analyzed data from the MR PONy cohort comprising 71 pediatric subjects. Auxological data, liver ultrasonography and biochemical serum profile were recorded. Lipid-derived indices and body composition indices were calculated. Nevertheless, serum Osteonectin and Hsp27 levels were assessed using an ELISA approach. Results: MAFLD prevalence was 40.8%. Higher Osteonectin levels were noted in MAFLD subjects versus non-MAFLD subjects and in dyslipidemic children regardless of their liver function status. Lipid-derived indices had good diagnostic capacity for MAFLD. Conclusions: We confirm Osteonectin as a MAFLD diagnosis biomarker in children. Also, lipid-derived indices are useful as metabolic-associated organ impairment markers in children even before the onset of obesity. Full article
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14 pages, 1606 KiB  
Article
Relative Body Mass Index Improves the BMI Percentile Performance for Detection and Monitoring of Excess Adiposity in Adolescents
by Pedro A. Velasquez-Mieyer, Ramfis Nieto-Martinez, Claudia P. Neira, Diana De Oliveira-Gomes, Andres E. Velasquez Rodriguez, Eunice Ugel and Patricia A. Cowan
Nutrients 2024, 16(5), 703; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16050703 - 29 Feb 2024
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Abstract
Obesity is defined as excess adipose tissue; however, commonly used methods may under-detect adiposity in adolescents. This study compared the performance of body mass index percentile (BMI%) and relative body mass index (RBMI) in identifying excess body fat percentage (BF%) and estimated RBMI [...] Read more.
Obesity is defined as excess adipose tissue; however, commonly used methods may under-detect adiposity in adolescents. This study compared the performance of body mass index percentile (BMI%) and relative body mass index (RBMI) in identifying excess body fat percentage (BF%) and estimated RBMI cut points to better stratify severity of adiposity. In 567 adolescents ages 11–19 year, BF% measured by DXA was used to compare BMI% and RBMI performance at different degrees of adiposity. RBMI cut points for adiposity detection were derived via ROC curve analysis. BF% was strongly correlated with BMI% (r = 0.889, p < 0.001) and RBMI (r = 0.901, p < 0.001). However, RBMI exhibited less dispersion and better discriminated the relationship with BF% independent of age, race, and gender. Both BMI% and RBMI performed similarly for detecting high BF% (≥25 BF% in males; ≥30 BF% in females). Nonetheless, the relationship of BMI% with BF% was diminished among leaner adolescents. RBMI detected overweight in 21.3% more females and 14.2% more males. RBMI improved the detection of excess adiposity in individuals otherwise classified as having normal weight or overweight by BMI%. RBMI is a valuable and accessible tool for earlier detection, intervention, and effective follow-up of excess adiposity in youth at higher risk for complications. Full article
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16 pages, 701 KiB  
Article
Prenatal Vitamin D Levels Influence Growth and Body Composition until 11 Years in Boys
by Julia Sanguesa, Sandra Marquez, Mariona Bustamante, Jordi Sunyer, Carmen Iniguez, Jesus Vioque, Loreto Santa-Marina Rodriguez, Alba Jimeno-Romero, Matias Torrent, Maribel Casas and Martine Vrijheid
Nutrients 2023, 15(9), 2033; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15092033 - 23 Apr 2023
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Abstract
Background: Gestational vitamin D levels may influence offspring growth and modulate adipogenesis. Findings from prospective studies are inconsistent, and few have evaluated the persistence of these associations into late childhood. Objective: To examine the association between prenatal vitamin D levels and growth and [...] Read more.
Background: Gestational vitamin D levels may influence offspring growth and modulate adipogenesis. Findings from prospective studies are inconsistent, and few have evaluated the persistence of these associations into late childhood. Objective: To examine the association between prenatal vitamin D levels and growth and adiposity in late childhood. Methods: We included 2027 mother–child pairs from the INMA birth cohort. 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (vitamin D3) levels were measured in serum at 13 weeks of pregnancy. Sex- and age-specific body mass index z-scores were calculated at 7 and 11 years, overweight was defined as z-score ≥ 85th percentile, and body fat mass was measured at 11 years. Z-score body mass index (zBMI) trajectories from birth to 11 years were identified using latent class growth analysis. Results: The prevalence of vitamin D3 deficiency (<20 ng/mL) was 17.5%, and around 40% of the children had overweight at both ages. Associations between vitamin D levels and outcomes differed by sex. In boys, maternal vitamin D3 deficient status was associated with higher zBMI, higher fat mass percentage, higher odds of being overweight, and with an increased risk of belonging to lower birth size followed by accelerated BMI gain trajectory. In girls no associations were observed. Conclusion: Our results support a sex-specific programming effect of early pregnancy vitamin D3 levels on offspring body composition into late childhood observed in boys. Full article
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