Resting Energy Expenditure Is Not Altered in Children and Adolescents with Obesity. Effect of Age and Gender and Association with Serum Leptin Levels.

J Karina Zapata,Beatriz Ramírez,Victoria Catalán,M Cristina Azcona-Sanjulian,Giuseppe Calamita,Javier Gómez-Ambrosi,Camilo Silva,Javier Salvador,Gema Frühbeck,Javier Escalada,Amaia Rodríguez

doi:10.3390/nu13041216

Abstract

In children and adolescents, obesity does not seem to depend on a reduction of resting energy expenditure (REE). Moreover, in this young population, the interactions between either age and obesity or between age and gender, or the role of leptin on REE are not clearly understood. To compare the levels of REE in children and adolescents we studied 181 Caucasian individuals (62% girls) classified on the basis of age- and sex-specific body mass index (BMI) percentile as healthy weight (n = 50), with overweight (n = 34), or with obesity (n = 97) and in different age groups: 8–10 (n = 38), 11–13 (n = 50), and 14–17 years (n = 93). REE was measured by indirect calorimetry and body composition by air displacement plethysmography. Statistically significant differences in REE/fat-free mass (FFM) regarding obesity or gender were not observed. Absolute REE increases with age (p < 0.001), but REE/FFM decreases (p < 0.001) and there is an interaction between gender and age (p < 0.001) on absolute REE showing that the age-related increase is more marked in boys than in girls, in line with a higher FFM. Interestingly, the effect of obesity on absolute REE is not observed in the 8–10 year-old group, in which serum leptin concentrations correlate with the REE/FFM (r = 0.48; p = 0.011). In conclusion, REE/FFM is not affected by obesity or gender, while the effect of age on absolute REE is gender-dependent and leptin may influence the REE/FFM in 8–10 year-olds.

Highlights

Figure S1A), we found that resting energy expenditure (REE)/fat-free mass (FFM) was significantly increased in overweight (p < 0.05)
When the data segregated by age and obesity degree, we found an effect on total of age
(iv)there there interaction absolute showing that the age-related increment is more marked in males than in on absolute REE showing that the age-related increment is more marked in males than females, which is not observed for REE to FFM (REE/FFM); (v) the effect of obesity on is not obin females, which is not observed for REE/FFM; (v) the effect of obesity on REE is not served ininthe levels correlate correlate with with observed the8–10

Summary

Introduction

The prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents has increased dramatically in the last decades [1,2,3,4]. Overweight and obesity in children and adolescents are independent risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, certain types of cancer, and sleep-disorders [5,6,7,8]. The presence of overweight and obesity during childhood and adolescence is associated with increased risk of adult comorbidities [9,10]. Obesity has a multifactorial nature resulting from an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure during an extended time period [11].

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