Impact Of Childhood Obesity Research Articles

The impact of childhood obesity on musculoskeletal form

Despite the greater prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in obese adults, the consequences of childhood obesity on the development and function of the musculoskeletal system have received comparatively little attention within the literature. Of the limited number of studies performed to date, the majority have focused on the impact of childhood obesity on skeletal structure and alignment, and to a lesser extent its influence on clinical tests of motor performance including muscular strength, balance and locomotion. Although collectively these studies imply that the functional and structural limitations imposed by obesity may result in aberrant lower limb mechanics and the potential for musculoskeletal injury, empirical verification is currently lacking. The delineation of the effects of childhood obesity on musculoskeletal structure in terms of mass, adiposity, anthropometry, metabolic effects and physical inactivity, or their combination, has not been established. More specifically, there is a lack of research regarding the effect of childhood obesity on the properties of connective tissue structures, such as tendons and ligaments. Given the global increase in childhood obesity, there is a need to ascertain the consequences of persistent obesity on musculoskeletal structure and function. A better understanding of the implications of childhood obesity on the development and function of the musculoskeletal system would assist in the provision of more meaningful support in the prevention, treatment and management of the musculoskeletal consequences of the condition.

Obesity induced during sexual maturation is linked to LDL-triacylglycerols in Yucatan miniature swine

The incidence of childhood obesity is rising dramatically throughout industrialised countries. To evaluate and study the impact of childhood obesity on lipoprotein metabolism, we developed a new animal model of premature obesity. Yucatan mini-pigs aged 4 months were studied over a 12-month period from childhood to adulthood. Animals were divided into two groups: the first group were overfed a Western misbalanced diet; the second group were normally fed a recommended human-type diet. Cholesterol and triacylglycerol concentrations in VLDL-, LDL- and HDL-lipoproteins were followed from baseline to adulthood by fast protein liquid chromatography. At 10 (the end of sexual maturation) and 16 months old (adulthood), liver, visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissues were sampled. Real-time RT-PCR was performed in order to compare apo AI, apo B, apo C-III, PPAR-alpha, insulin receptor and lipoprotein lipase gene expression between groups and ages. Differences between groups were observed only after sexual maturity. Adult overfed mini-pigs had a higher LDL-cholesterol:HDL-cholesterol ratio (P < 0.05; 0.55 (SE 0.06) for overfed v. 0.42 (SE 0.04) for normally fed pigs at the tenth month of the study). In both groups, VLDL-triacylglycerol decreased (P < 0.05). VLDL-triacylglycerol evolution in the overfed group was associated with an increase in LDL-triacylglycerol plasma concentrations (P < 0.05) after sexual maturation. LDL-triacylglycerol concentration in overfed mini-pigs went from an average of 0.28 mmol/l before sexual maturation to reach an average concentration of 0.56 mmol/l afterwards. This phenomenon has never been observed in similar studies when obesity is induced in adult mini-pigs and may represent a specific hallmark of an obesity induced during sexual maturity.

Obesity in Teens Predicts Adult Mortality

Epidemiology| August 01 2003 Obesity in Teens Predicts Adult Mortality AAP Grand Rounds (2003) 10 (2): 16. https://doi.org/10.1542/gr.10-2-16 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Obesity in Teens Predicts Adult Mortality. AAP Grand Rounds August 2003; 10 (2): 16. https://doi.org/10.1542/gr.10-2-16 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All PublicationsAll JournalsAAP Grand RoundsPediatricsHospital PediatricsPediatrics In ReviewNeoReviewsAAP NewsAll AAP Sites Search Advanced Search Topics: obesity Source: Engeland A, Bjørge T, Søgaard AJ, et al. Body mass index in adolescence in relation to total mortality: 32-year follow-up of 227,000 Norwegian boys and girls. Am J Epidemiol. 2003; 157:517–523. The relation between adult body mass index (BMI) and mortality has been extensively studied, but the relation between adolescent BMI and later mortality has not been previously established in a large population. These investigators from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and the Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway, followed a cohort of 227,003 14- to 19-year-old Norwegian youth whose heights and weights were measured during tuberculosis screening in 1963–1975. They were followed for an average of 31.5 years, approximately 7.2 million person-years. A total of 7,516 deaths were recorded, with an increasing risk of death in adolescents whose BMI levels were greater than the 75th percentile. Mortality in males with baseline BMI between 85th-95th percentiles and above the 95th percentile (using US norms) was higher (RR 1.29; 95% CI, 1.14–1.47; and RR 1.82; 95% CI, 1.48–2.25, respectively) compared with those with baseline BMI between 25th-75th percentiles. The corresponding risk ratios among females were 1.31 (95% CI, 1.14–1.52) and 2.03 (95% CI, 1.51–2.72), respectively. Males with baseline BMI of 30 or greater had 125% higher mortality (95% CI, 79–185%) compared with BMI less than 25. Females with baseline BMI of 30 or greater had 114% higher mortality (95% CI, 61–182%). The specific causes of mortality were not determined in these data. The excess mortality among adolescents with high BMI was not detectable before they reached the age of 30 years. This study adds more weight to the evidence of the adverse impact of childhood obesity on adult mortality. Similar long-term risk of mortality related to adolescent obesity was found in a Dutch study.1 The authors of the current study recognize that the lack of information on many potential confounders—including smoking, social class, and physical activity—as well as the lack of cause-specific mortality information, adds some uncertainty to the interpretation of their results. Nonetheless, the data from this study are of concern and should strengthen our resolve to find effective ways to prevent and treat obesity in children. Prevention seems of paramount importance since obesity is notoriously difficult to reverse in children and adolescents.2 The oldest person in this study was 58, so longer follow-up may reveal even more about the long-term impact of adolescent obesity. This study adds to the list of potentially preventable adult diseases that have their origins in the pediatric age period including, among others, lung cancer, skin cancer, coronary heart disease, and osteoporosis. You do not currently have access to this content.

Parental influence on food selection in young children and its relationships to childhood obesity

This investigation evaluated the impact of parental influences on children's food selections and the impact of childhood obesity on these food choices. Subjects were 53 young children of various weight status. Foods ranging widely in nutritional values were offered to each child for lunch. The children were again offered foods but were told that their mothers would be monitoring their selections. Finally, mothers were allowed to modify their children's last food choices. Results indicated that parental influences have a marked effect on food selection; both the threat of parental monitoring and actual parental monitoring lowered the number of nonnutritious foods chosen and total caloric content of the meal. The obesity status of the mothers and children had no impact on these results. The implication of these results for future intervention efforts are discussed.