Severe Childhood Obesity Research Articles

Effect of severe obesity in childhood and adolescence on risk of type 2 diabetes in youth and early adulthood in an American Indian population.

The risk of early-onset type 2 diabetes associated with the severity of obesity in youth is not well understood. This study aims to determine metabolic alterations and type 2 diabetes risk among American Indian children who are obese or severely obese. Incidence rates of diabetes before 20 years (youth-onset) and 45 years were computed in 2728 children who were from 5 to <10 years and 4317 adolescents who were from 10 to <18 years without diabetes examined between 1965 and 2007. Obesity was defined as age-sex-adjusted body mass index (BMI) ≥95th percentile, and its severity was quantified as the percentage of the 95th percentile (%BMIp95 ). In the younger cohort, 0.9% of those non-obese and 2.9% of those with 100% to <120%BMIp95 had impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) compared to 8.6% of those with ≥140%BMIp95 . In the older cohort, 2.9% of those non-obese and 9.8% of those with 100% to <120%BMIp95 had IGT compared to 13.3% of those with ≥160%BMIp95 . The incidence of youth-onset diabetes was 3.8 and 4.9/1000 person-years in the child and adolescent cohorts, respectively, and before the age of 45 was 12.3 and 16.8/1000 person-years, respectively. Incidence rates of youth-onset diabetes in those with the most severe obesity (≥140%BMIp95 ) were 2.3 to 5.1 times as high as in those with the least severe obesity (100 to <120%BMIp95 ), and for onset of diabetes before the age of 45 were 1.6 to 2.2 times as high. Severe obesity in an American Indian population is a major driver of type 2 diabetes developing in adolescents and young adults.

Prevalence of severe obesity and its association with elevated blood pressure among children and adolescents in Shandong, China.

Childhood obesity has increased markedly during the past decades; however, data on the prevalence of severe obesity in children and adolescents are limited. The present study examined the prevalence of severe obesity and its association with elevated blood pressure (BP) among children and adolescents in Shandong, China. A total of 44 630 (22 404 boys and 22 226 girls) students aged 7-18 years participated in the study. BMI cut-off points recommended by the International Obesity Task Force were used to define class I-III obesity. Relatively high BP status was defined as systolic BP and/or diastolic BP of at least 95th percentile for age and sex. The prevalence rates of class I, class II, and class III obesity were 6.67, 1.47, and 0.42% for boys and 2.88, 0.64, and 0.18% for girls, respectively; boys had a higher prevalence than girls (P<0.01). Substantial urban-rural disparities exist in childhood obesity; urban boys and girls had a higher prevalence of class I and class II obesity than their rural peers (P<0.05). Severe obesity is associated with elevated BP; the prevalence of relatively high BP increased from 39.93% (boys) and 39.53% (girls) in the class I obese group to 50.54% (boys) and 53.66% (girls) in the class III obese group (P<0.05). Although the current prevalence of severe obesity was at a relatively low level, but we should not relax our vigilance to the obesity epidemic. Our findings also emphasize the importance of the prevention of severe obesity to prevent future-related problems such as hypertension in children and adolescents.

Time to Adopt New Measures of Severe Obesity in Children and Adolescents.

* Abbreviations: ΔBMIp95 — : BMI minus BMI at the 95th percentile BMIp95 — : BMI as a percent of the 95th percentile BMIz — : BMI z score CDC — : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The ideal measure of weight gain and loss should distinguish children and adolescents across the distribution of weight and height and should include the capacity for changes in weight adjusted for height over time. Over short intervals, in which there is little growth in height, absolute changes in weight or BMI provide suitable indicators of weight gain or loss. However, over longer intervals, during which height increases significantly, weight change must be adjusted for changes in height and age by sex. BMI, which is calculated as weight (in kg) divided by the square of height (in m2), adjusts body weight for height. Although the correlation of BMI with various measures of body fat percentage is modest across the distribution of BMI, the correlation of BMI with body fat improves at the upper part of the body fat distribution. Increases in BMI greater than the 95th percentile are associated with increases in body fat.1,2 In addition, BMI has benefits in feasibility, reliability, and measurement and clinical validity.3 Changes in BMI, BMI percentiles, or changes in BMI expressed as an SD score (BMI z score [BMIz]) provide a reasonably … Address correspondence to William H. Dietz, MD, PhD, George Washington University, Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness, 950 New Hampshire Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20052. E-mail: dietzwcd4{at}gmail.com

Evidence Base for Multidisciplinary Care of Pediatric/Adolescent Bariatric Surgery Patients.

Severe childhood obesity, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) greater than the 99th percentile for age and gender, is rising in most countries and is associated with early morbidity and mortality. Optimal management of the health of the child with obesity requires a multidisciplinary approach that identifies and treats associated derangements. Lifestyle interventions such as diet, exercise, and behavioral therapy for the severely obese pediatric patient are generally not effective. Few centers worldwide offer bariatric surgery for adolescents in a multidisciplinary setting, and we are the only center that offers a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates bariatric surgery for severely obese children and adolescents across all age groups. In this paper, we review up-to-date evidence in this subject including ours, and provide details on the multidisciplinary approach to pediatric obesity that accommodates bariatric surgery for children across all age groups.

Full fat milk consumption protects against severe childhood obesity in Latinos.

Consumption of non- or low-fat dairy products is recommended as a strategy to lower the risk of childhood obesity. However, recent evidence suggests that consumption of whole fat dairy products may, in fact, be protective against obesity. Our objective was to determine the association between milk fat consumption and severe obesity among three-year-old Latino children, a population with a disproportionate burden of obesity and severe obesity. 24-hour-dietary recalls were conducted to determine child intake in San Francisco based cohort recruited in 2006–7. Mother-child dyads were weighed and measured. The 24-hour recall data was analyzed to determine participants' consumption of whole milk, 2% milk, and 1% milk. The milk consumption data was used to calculate grams of milk fat consumed. The cross-sectional association between milk fat intake and severe obesity (BMI ≥ 99th percentile) was determined using multivariable logistic regression. Data were available for 145 children, of whom 17% were severely obese. Severely obese children had a lower mean intake of milk fat (5.3 g vs. 8.9 g) and fewer drank any milk (79% versus 95% for not severely obese children (p < 0.01)). Among the potential confounders assessed, maternal BMI and maternal marital status were associated with severe obesity and were included in a multivariate model. In the multivariate model, higher milk fat consumption was associated with lower odds of severe obesity (OR 0.88 CI 0.80–0.97). Higher milk fat consumption is associated with lower odds of severe obesity among Latino preschoolers. These results call into question recommendations that promote consumption of lower fat milk.

Rare Variant Analysis of Human and Rodent Obesity Genes in Individuals with Severe Childhood Obesity

Obesity is a genetically heterogeneous disorder. Using targeted and whole-exome sequencing, we studied 32 human and 87 rodent obesity genes in 2,548 severely obese children and 1,117 controls. We identified 52 variants contributing to obesity in 2% of cases including multiple novel variants in GNAS, which were sometimes found with accelerated growth rather than short stature as described previously. Nominally significant associations were found for rare functional variants in BBS1, BBS9, GNAS, MKKS, CLOCK and ANGPTL6. The p.S284X variant in ANGPTL6 drives the association signal (rs201622589, MAF~0.1%, odds ratio = 10.13, p-value = 0.042) and results in complete loss of secretion in cells. Further analysis including additional case-control studies and population controls (N = 260,642) did not support association of this variant with obesity (odds ratio = 2.34, p-value = 2.59 × 10−3), highlighting the challenges of testing rare variant associations and the need for very large sample sizes. Further validation in cohorts with severe obesity and engineering the variants in model organisms will be needed to explore whether human variants in ANGPTL6 and other genes that lead to obesity when deleted in mice, do contribute to obesity. Such studies may yield druggable targets for weight loss therapies.

Clinical outcomes of an inpatient pediatric obesity treatment program in the USA.

Background When treating recalcitrant and severe childhood obesity, pharmaceutical options are limited and few patients qualify for bariatric surgery. A prolonged inpatient program serves as an alternative treatment. The purpose of this project was to describe the development of a medically supervised inpatient weight management program and evaluate its effectiveness. Methods This is a retrospective chart review of 18 patients [4-18 years, mean body mass index (BMI) 50.2 kg/m2] admitted to an inpatient pediatric weight management program from October 2011 through December 31, 2012 to evaluate the biometric, laboratory, sleep and behavioral changes that occurred from admission to discharge from the program. Results Average weight loss was 15% (6.9%-21.5%, p = 0.0001), the decrease in BMI was 15.1% (1.61-21.57, p = 0.0001), systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure decreased by 7.2% (p = 0.003) and 10.3% (p = 0.040), respectively. The reduction in heart rate was 15% (p = 0.013). Upon admission, nine patients had obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), of which one was treated with tonsillectomy and six were not compliant with home positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy. At discharge, three patients no longer required PAP and five required decreased PAP settings. Upon admission, seven patients met the criteria for an internalizing disorder. At discharge, symptom reduction was noted. Conclusion An intensive pediatric inpatient weight management program leads to successful weight loss, improvement in hemodynamic parameters, reduction in OSA treatment requirements and symptom improvement in anxiety and depressive disorders in obese children.

The effects of a low-dose physical activity intervention on physical activity and body mass index in severely obese adolescents.

Background While severe obesity in childhood poses the greatest long-term health risks, access to treatment is a common barrier. The present pilot study examined the effect of a 7-week low-dose physical activity (PA) intervention on PA and body mass index (BMI) in severe obese adolescents delivered via telephone and mail. Methods Adolescents (n = 64) receiving care from a pediatric obesity medical clinic were randomized to a control (n = 30) or intervention (n = 34) group. Height and weight were measured and BMI z-scores were calculated. PA was assessed by a pedometer. All measurements were completed pre- and post-intervention. The intervention group received weekly newsletters and telephone calls discussing various PA topics based on motivational interviewing for 7 weeks. The control group received no contact. A series of 2 × 2 (group by time) repeated measures analysis of covariances (ANCOVAs) adjusting for length of time between visits were performed to examine the effect of the intervention on PA and BMI z-scores. Results The majority of adolescents were severely obese (77%, BMI: > 99th percentile). Intention-to-treat analysis revealed intervention effects were not observed for either pedometer steps or BMI z-score (p > 0.05). Among those with complete data, adolescents who successfully changed their BMI z-score had larger BMI z-score changes than those who did not change their BMI z-score (p = 0.0001). This improvement was due to something other than PA as the change in BMI z-score was similar among those who did and did not successfully increase PA levels (p > 0.05). Conclusions More intensive, comprehensive, and longer-term treatment is needed in this high risk population.

Concordance of bioactive vs. total immunoreactive serum leptin levels in children with severe early onset obesity.

ContextLeptin secreted from adipose tissue signals peripheral energy status to the brain. Monogenic leptin deficiency results in severe early onset obesity with hyperphagia. Recently, a similar phenotype of inactivating leptin mutations but with preserved immunoreactivity and hence normal circulating immunoreactive leptin has been reported.ObjectiveWe aimed to evaluate the proportion of bioactive leptin serum levels (compared to immunoreactive leptin) as a biomarker for the screening of leptin gene mutations causing monogenic obesity. Furthermore, we aimed to compare the immunoreactive and bioactive leptin levels associations with parameters of insulin resistance and insulin secretion in obese children and adolescents.Patients and methodsWe measured bioactive and immunoreactive leptin levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in fasting serum samples of 70 children with severe (BMI SDS >3) non-syndromic obesity with onset <3 years of life from our Leipzig childhood obesity cohort (n = 1204). Sanger sequencing of the leptin gene was performed in probands with proportion of bioactive/immunoreactive leptin <90%.ResultsThe mean levels of bioactive and immunoreactive leptin were almost identical (41.1±25.2 vs. 41.1±25.4ng/mL). In three probands with the lowest bioactive leptin proportion (<90%) we did not identify mutations in the leptin gene. Compared to immunoreactive leptin, bioactive leptin showed similar and slightly better statistical associations with indices of insulin resistance in correlation and multivariate analyses.ConclusionIn our sample selected for severe early onset childhood obesity, we did not identify leptin gene mutations leading to decreased proportion of bioactive leptin.Nevertheless, the bioactive leptin levels were stronger associated with selected insulin secretion/resistance indices than the immunoreactive leptin levels.

Severe early childhood caries and obesity

Severe early childhood caries and obesity

The association of self-regulation with weight loss maintenance after an intensive combined lifestyle intervention for children and adolescents with severe obesity

BackgroundKnowledge is limited on the role the ability to self-regulate plays in the long-term outcome of obesity treatment in children and adolescents with severe obesity. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the ability to self-regulate after an one year intensive, partly inpatient, combined lifestyle intervention is associated with weight loss maintenance in children and adolescents with severe obesity.MethodsOne hundred twenty participants (8–19 years) with an average SDS-BMI of 3.41 and their parents/caregivers were included in an intervention study. As primary determinant of weight loss maintenance, general self-regulation ability was evaluated using two behavioral computer tasks assessing inhibitory control and sensitivity to reward.ResultsThere was no association between inhibitory control at T12 and ∆SDS-BMI between T12 and T24 (β = 0.0002; CI 95% = −0.0010–0.0014; P = 0.761). There was also no relation between sensitivity to reward at T12 and ∆SDS-BMI between T12 and T24 (β = −0.0028; CI 95% = −0.0075–0.0019; P = 0.244). None of the psychosocial factors that were examined as moderators, showed a statistically significant interaction, except for parental feeding style (P = 0.023).ConclusionsThe ability to self-regulate after an intensive, partly inpatient, multidisciplinary one year intervention for severe obesity in children and adolescents was not associated with the ability to maintain the achieved weight loss during the following year. Factors that explain the large range of long term outcomes need to be elucidated.Trial registrationNetherlands Trial Register (NTR1678, registered 20-Feb-2009).

Features of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in severely obese children and adolescents undergoing sleeve gastrectomy

BackgroundNonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an underrecognized co-morbidity of obesity. The characteristic features and severity of NAFLD in severe childhood obesity remain unknown. ObjectivesTo investigate features of NAFLD in obese children and identify predictors of significant disease. SettingAcademic center with a standardized pathway for pediatric bariatric surgery and a dedicated multidisciplinary team. DesignThis is a baseline cross-sectional analysis for a data set obtained from a prospective clinical outcome study that included severely obese children (≤14 yr of age) and adolescents (14–21 yr of age) who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy between March 2008 and March 2015. Patients with syndromic obesity, history of alcohol intake, parenteral nutrition, liver disease, intake of medications that may affect NAFLD and weight, and insufficient tissue biopsy were excluded. Prevalence and features of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and clinically significant liver fibrosis in different pediatric age groups and noninvasive predictors in severe childhood obesity were evaluated. ResultsThe 296 patients in the study group (1:1 sex distribution) had a mean body mass index and age of 48.4±9.8 kg/m2 and 14.5±3.6 years, respectively. According to histopathology assessment, 225 (76%) patients had NAFLD, of whom 118 patients (39.9% of the total cohort) had NASH. Additionally, 110 (37.2%) had clinically significant (stage 2+) fibrosis and 256 (86.5%) had portal inflammation. Those with NASH were younger than those without NASH (P = .02; prevalence of NASH in children aged≤10 yr = 64.9%) and were more likely to be male (P = .003). Of children aged≤10 years, 60% had clinically significant fibrosis compared with 32% of older patients (P = .03). High-density lipoproteins, triglycerides, glycated hemoglobin, alanine transaminase, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels were most predictive of fibrosis. For NASH, triglycerides, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, glycated hemoglobin, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate transaminase, and alanine transaminase were most predictive. ConclusionsIn our setting, 65% of severely obese young children had NASH, and 60% had clinically significant liver fibrosis. Young age, male sex, and features of metabolic syndrome were significantly associated with NASH and liver fibrosis in severely obese pediatric patients.

Erratum: Genetic variants in LEP, LEPR, and MC4R explain 30% of severe obesity in children from a consanguineous population.

Erratum: Genetic variants in LEP, LEPR, and MC4R explain 30% of severe obesity in children from a consanguineous population.

MC4R Mutation in Early-onset Severe Childhood Obesity—Genotype–phenotype Correlation

Melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R; OMIM#155541) encodes a 332-amino acids protein possessing typical G-protein-coupled receptors’ (GPCRs) structural design having three intact and functional domains, mutations which lead to the most recurrent type of monogenic obesity. Methods: We report here a case of a 5-year-old boy from Iraq who presented to the clinic for evaluation of progressive weight gain since he was 6 months of age. There were no symptoms of hypothalamic dysfunction except increase in appetite. His height was 120 cm (97th centile of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] growth chart, mid parental height was 50th centile), weight was 57 kg (&gt;97th centile on CDC chart) and body mass index was 39.6 kg/m2 (&gt;97th centile on CDC chart). A monogenic cause of obesity was strongly suspected in view of early onset severe childhood obesity. Results: Mutation screening of MC4R revealed a homozygous isoleucine by arginie at codon 69 (I69R) mutation in the patient, while his father was heterozygous for this mutation. Conclusion: We describe a monogenic form of obesity with characteristic presentation due to I69R MC4R mutation inherited as an autosomal recessive condition. The finding is different from previous reports which have documented this mutation to be inherited in a dominant manner. The findings of the present study reiterate the complex nature of obesity with possible involvement of modifier genes and/or genetic heterogeneity in its causation.

Economic Evaluation of Intensive Inpatient Treatments for Severely Obese Children and Adolescents

Background: Considering the large economic consequences of severe childhood obesity for the society, we aimed to conduct an economic evaluation comparing two intensive 1-year lifestyle treatments with varying inpatient periods for severely obese children and adolescents with regard to standard deviation score BMI (SDS-BMI) and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Methods: An economic evaluation from a societal perspective accompanying a randomized controlled trial with a 24-month follow-up. 80 participants (8-19 years) with severe obesity were included. Participants received an intensive 1-year lifestyle treatment with an inpatient period of 2 months (short-stay group) or 6 months (long-stay group). Data were collected at baseline, 6, 12 ,and 24 months and included SDS-BMI and QALYs. Results: SDS-BMI decreased in the first 6 months of treatment, stabilized in the second 6 months, and increased during the 2nd year in both groups. After 24 months, SDS-BMI was similar in both groups, but remained lower than baseline values (mean difference -0.24, 95% CI -0.42; -0.06). There was no difference in QALYs between the groups after 24 months. For SDS-BMI, the probability of the short-stay treatment being cost-effective in comparison with the long-stay treatment was 1 at a willingness-to-pay of 0 EUR/unit of effect, which slowly decreased to 0.54 for larger willingness-to-pay values. Conclusions: Based on the results of this study, the short-stay treatment is considered to be more cost-effective from the societal perspective in comparison with the long-stay treatment. Future research should provide insight in whether the short-stay treatment is cost-effective in comparison with usual care.

High Body Mass Index in Infancy May Predict Severe Obesity in Early Childhood

To characterize growth trajectories of children who develop severe obesity by age 6 years and identify clinical thresholds for detection of high-risk children before the onset of obesity. Two lean (body mass index [BMI] 5th to ≤75th percentile) and 2 severely obese (BMI ≥99th percentile) groups were selected from populations treated at pediatric referral and primary care clinics. A population-based cohort was used to validate the utility of identified risk thresholds. Repeated-measures mixed modeling and logistic regression were used for analysis. A total of 783 participants of normal weight and 480 participants with severe obesity were included in the initial study. BMI differed significantly between the severely obese and normal-weight cohorts by age 4 months (P < .001), at 1 year before the median age at onset of obesity. A cutoff of the World Health Organization (WHO) 85th percentile for BMI at 6, 12, and 18 months was a strong predictor of severe obesity by age 6 years (sensitivity, 51%-95%; specificity, 95%). This BMI threshold was validated in a second independent cohort (n = 2649), with a sensitivity of 33%-77% and a specificity of 74%-87%. A BMI ≥85th percentile in infancy increases the risk of severe obesity by age 6 years by 2.5-fold and the risk of clinical obesity by age 6 years by 3-fold. BMI trajectories in children who develop severe obesity by age 6 years differ from those in children who remain at normal weight by age 4-6 months, before the onset of obesity. Infants with a WHO BMI ≥85th percentile are at increased risk for developing severe obesity by age 6 years.

Bariatric surgery: is it reasonable before the age of 16?

to assess the severity of obesity in children and adolescents through the presence of comorbidities and the potential indication of bariatric surgery. we conducted a cross-sectional study with clinical and laboratory data of the first consultation of patients at the childhood obesity clinic at a tertiary hospital from 2005 to 2013. We divided the patients into groups with or without potential indication for surgery, and recorded age, gender, birth weight, age of obesity onset, BMI Z score, presence of acanthosis nigricans, blood pressure, total cholesterol and fractions, triglycerides, blood glucose and fasting insulin, HOMA1-IR, CRP and ESR. The group with potential indication for surgery included: BMI > 40 or between 35-40 with comorbidities (Triglycerides >130mg/dl, glucose levels >100mg/dl, HOMA1-IR >3.16, Total Cholesterol >200mg/dl, LDL >130mg/dl and HDL <45mg/dl), regardless of age, epiphysis consolidation and previous treatment. of the 296 patients included in the study, 282 (95.3%) were younger than 16 years. The most frequent change was the HDL (63.2%), followed by HOMA1-IR (37.5%). Of the group of 66 patients with potential indication for surgery (22.3%), only ten (15.1%) had more than 16 years. Acanthosis nigricans, the average HOMA1-IR, insulin, CRP, ESR, age, BMI Z score and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significant in the group with potential surgical indication. bariatric surgery might be indicated by BMI and comorbidities in children and adolescents under 16 years. avaliar a gravidade da obesidade em crianças e adolescentes pela presença de comorbidades e pela potencial indicação de cirurgia bariátrica. estudo transversal com dados clínicos e laboratoriais da primeira consulta de pacientes do ambulatório de obesidade infantil em um hospital terciário no período de 2005 a 2013. Os pacientes foram divididos em grupos com ou sem potencial indicação cirúrgica, e associados com idade, sexo, peso de nascimento, idade de início da obesidade, escore z de IMC, presença de acantose nigricans, pressão arterial, colesterol total e frações, triglicérides, glicemia e insulina de jejum, HOMA1-IR, PCR e VHS. O grupo com potencial indicação cirúrgica incluiu: IMC >40 ou IMC entre 35-40 com comorbidades (Triglicérides >130mg/dl, Glicemia >100mg/dl, HOMA1-IR >3,16, Colesterol total >200mg/dl, LDL >130mg/dl e HDL <45mg/dl), independente da idade, consolidação das epífises e tratamento prévio. de 296 pacientes incluídos no estudo, 282 (95,3%) tinham menos de 16 anos. A alteração mais frequente foi a do HDL (63,2%), seguido do HOMA1-IR (37,5%). Do grupo de 66 pacientes com potencial indicação cirúrgica (22,3%), apenas dez (15,1%) tinham mais de 16 anos. Acantose nigricans, as médias de HOMA1-IR, insulina, PCR, VHS, idade, escore z de IMC e pressões sistólica e diastólica foram significantes no grupo com potencial indicação cirúrgica. os resultados sugerem que a cirurgia bariátrica, poderia estar indicada pelo IMC e presença de comorbidades, em crianças e adolescentes com menos de 16 anos.

Determining the accuracy of predictive energy expenditure (PREE) equations in severely obese adolescents

Severe obesity in children and adolescents is now a serious global health concern. Accurate measurements of resting energy expenditure (REE) is a key foundation for successful obesity treatment. Clinical dietitians rely heavily on measured or calculated REE to tailor dietary interventions. Indirect calorimetry (IC) is the gold standard for measuring REE. However, predictive resting energy expenditure (PREE) equations are commonly used when IC is unavailable due to cost or practicality. PREE equations differ based on variables such as age, gender, weight, and height and selecting the most accurate PREE for an individual is crucial to avoid over or underestimation of energy requirements. Published studies investigating the accuracy of PREE equations in obese children and adolescents have reported inconsistent findings, which likely result from heterogeneity in the patient populations studied. Accordingly, this study aimed to (a) assess the accuracy of the published PREE equations in a group of severely obese (SO) adolescents using IC measurement, and (b) determine if there is a BMI threshold at which the PREE equations become less accurate. SO adolescents were studied using IC. REE was calculated using nine commonly used PREE equations. Generalized linear regression equations were used to compare absolute and relative differences between calculated and measured REE (MREE) for each PREE equation. Accuracy was calculated as the percentage of subjects with PREE values within 10 percent of MREE. 226 SO adolescents (mean±SD age: 15.9±1.9 years; weight: 126.9±24.5kg; BMI: 44.9±8.1kg/m2) participated. Mean MREE was 2163±443kcal/d. PREE calculated by the Mifflin equation was the only equation without a statistically significant bias compared to MREE (mean bias of-23±307kcal/d; p=0.26). Mifflin was also the most accurate with 61% of individuals within ±10% of MREE. PREE equations accuracy was not associated with degree of BMI elevation (31-69kg/m2). In adolescents with severe obesity, the Mifflin equation best predicts REE. This should be the equation applied when using PREE to optimize nutritional care in this population.

Developing an Algorithm to Detect Early Childhood Obesity in Two Tertiary Pediatric Medical Centers.

The objective of this study is to develop an algorithm to accurately identify children with severe early onset childhood obesity (ages 1-5.99 years) using structured and unstructured data from the electronic health record (EHR). Childhood obesity increases risk factors for cardiovascular morbidity and vascular disease. Accurate definition of a high precision phenotype through a standardize tool is critical to the success of large-scale genomic studies and validating rare monogenic variants causing severe early onset obesity. Rule based and machine learning based algorithms were developed using structured and unstructured data from two EHR databases from Boston Children's Hospital (BCH) and Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Medical Center (CCHMC). Exclusion criteria including medications or comorbid diagnoses were defined. Machine learning algorithms were developed using cross-site training and testing in addition to experimenting with natural language processing features. Precision was emphasized for a high fidelity cohort. The rule-based algorithm performed the best overall, 0.895 (CCHMC) and 0.770 (BCH). The best feature set for machine learning employed Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) concept unique identifiers (CUIs), ICD-9 codes, and RxNorm codes. Detecting severe early childhood obesity is essential for the intervention potential in children at the highest long-term risk of developing comorbidities related to obesity and excluding patients with underlying pathological and non-syndromic causes of obesity assists in developing a high-precision cohort for genetic study. Further such phenotyping efforts inform future practical application in health care environments utilizing clinical decision support.

Cardiometabolic Risk and Obesity Severity in Children and Youth

Cardiometabolic Risk and Obesity Severity in Children and Youth