Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine whether metabolically healthy overweight/obese children have greater global and regional gray matter volumes than their metabolically unhealthy peers. We further examined the association between gray matter volume and academic achievement, along with the role of cardiorespiratory fitness in these associations. A total of 97 overweight/obese children (10.0 ± 1.2 years) participated. We classified children as metabolically healthy/unhealthy based on metabolic syndrome cut-offs. Global and regional brain volumes were assessed by magnetic resonance imaging. Academic achievement was assessed using the Woodcock-Muñoz standardized test. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed by the 20 m shuttle run test. Metabolically healthy overweight/obese (MHO) children had greater regional gray matter volume compared to those who were metabolically unhealthy (MUO) (all p ≤ 0.001). A similar trend was observed for global gray matter volume (p = 0.06). Global gray matter volume was positively related to academic achievement (β = 0.237, p = 0.036). However, all the associations were attenuated or disappeared after adjusting for cardiorespiratory fitness (p > 0.05). The findings of the present study support that metabolically healthy overweight/obese children have greater gray matter volume compared to those that are metabolically unhealthy, which is in turn related to better academic achievement. However, cardiorespiratory fitness seems to explain, at least partially, these findings.
Highlights
Childhood obesity is one of the major health concerns of this century as it has reached epidemic proportions worldwide [1]
Metabolically healthy overweight/obese (MHO) children demonstrated lower peak height velocity, weight, and body mass index (BMI) compared to metabolically unhealthy overweight/obesity (MUO) children
No significant differences were found for most metabolic risk factors, except for triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein, which showed a better metabolic profile for MHO compared to MUO individuals
Summary
Childhood obesity is one of the major health concerns of this century as it has reached epidemic proportions worldwide [1]. The MHO phenotype is defined as an excessive body weight based on the international body mass index (BMI) cut-points, but otherwise do not meet any other metabolic syndrome criteria (i.e., triglycerides, glucose, high-density lipoprotein, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure) [2] except for waist circumference. This can be identified in children using the age- and sex-specific cut-points proposed by Jolliffe and Janssen [10]
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