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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

The prevalence of abnormal metabolic parameters in obese and overweight children

Deborah Salvatore1, Ava Satnick2, Rebecca Abell2

  • 1Stony Brook Long Island Children's Hospital, Stony Brook, New York deborah.salvatore@stonybrookmedicine.edu.

JPEN. Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition
|July 16, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Obese children, particularly those in classes II and III, frequently exhibit abnormal metabolic markers like low HDL cholesterol and elevated insulin. Obesity severity correlates with these laboratory abnormalities, indicating increased health risks.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Metabolic Disorders
  • Obesity Research

Background:

  • Obesity in children is a growing concern with potential metabolic complications.
  • Understanding the link between obesity severity and metabolic dysfunction is crucial for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of abnormal metabolic parameters in obese children.
  • To investigate the correlation between the degree of obesity (classified by BMI) and metabolic abnormalities.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 101 obese children from a pediatric obesity clinic.
  • Obesity classified into classes I, II, and III based on BMI percentiles.
  • Evaluation of metabolic parameters including HDL cholesterol, fasting insulin, and ALT levels.
  • Statistical analysis using chi-squared tests and ANOVA.

Main Results:

  • 80% of obese children had low HDL cholesterol; 58% had elevated fasting insulin; 32% had elevated ALT.
  • Class II obesity was associated with double the ALT levels compared to Class I (P=.036).
  • Fasting insulin, ALT, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides showed trends correlating with obesity class.

Conclusions:

  • Children with Class II and III obesity face a higher risk of abnormal laboratory findings.
  • Classifying obesity severity is vital for predicting comorbidities and guiding clinical management.
  • Obesity classes can serve as a screening tool for risk assessment in pediatric populations.
Abstract

Keywords:
nutrition assessmentobesitypediatrics

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