Physical fitness and insulin sensitivity in a group of obese children from 8 to 13 years of age by puberal state

Abstract

Insulin resistance is the most common metabolic disorder associated with obesity and highest cardiometabolic risk in children. If the inadequate physical condition is added, they have a high risk of developing cardiometabolic complications at an early age. To evaluate physical fitness and insulin sensitivity in obese school children of 8-13 years of age from three public schools in the Metropolitan Region of Santiago. the study was carried out in 61 obese school children (25 Tanner I-II y 36 Tanner III-V). Anthropometric measures, Tanner stages, body composition (using 4-compartment model), physical fitness with the six-minute test and laboratory indicators, glucose, insulin and HOMA-IR, were measured. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed according to the criteria of Cook. Obese prepubertal and pubertal children and adolescents showed inadequate physical fitness, refl ected in the distance and heart rate during and after the six-minute test. In turn, the sample has a high prevalence of insulin resistance in conjunction with metabolic syndrome. Regardless of the pubertal status, obese schoolchildren have a poor physical fitness and decreased insulin sensitivity reflected in a compensatory hyperinsulinemia.