Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 21, 2026
Development and Validation of a Methodology for Establishing Obese Rat Models with Typical Fatty Pancreas
Published on: November 11, 2025
[Obesity associated metabolic impairment is evident at early ages: Spanish collaborative study]
Gabriel Á Martos-Moreno1, Mercedes Gil-Campos2, Gloria Bueno3
1Servicio de Endocrinología, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús. Instituto de Investigación La Princesa. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. CIBERobn, ISCIII.. gabrielangelmartos@yahoo.es.
Insights
Metabolic abnormalities are common in Spanish children with early-onset obesity, even before age 10. These health issues are present even in very-early-onset obesity cases, highlighting the need for early intervention.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Metabolic Health
- Obesity Research
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a growing concern with significant health implications.
- Early-onset obesity presents unique challenges in diagnosis and management.
- Metabolic syndrome (MS) criteria may not fully capture metabolic derangements in younger children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe demographic, anthropometric, and metabolic characteristics of children with early-onset (<10 years) and very-early-onset (<5 years) obesity.
- To evaluate the diagnostic performance of different metabolic syndrome (MS) criteria in these pediatric populations.
Main Methods:
- A multicenter, retrospective, case-control, cross-sectional study involving 10 Spanish Pediatric Endocrinology Units.
- Studied 469 children with early-onset obesity, 30 with very-early-onset obesity, and 224 healthy controls.
- Collected anthropometric data and analyzed carbohydrate metabolism and lipid profiles.
Main Results:
- Metabolic alterations associated with obesity are prevalent in Spanish children, both independently and as part of MS.
- Insulin resistance significantly increases the prevalence of detected metabolic abnormalities.
- Metabolic abnormalities are present in a remarkable percentage of children even below the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) age criteria for MS, including those with very-early-onset obesity (<5 years).
Conclusions:
- Metabolic alterations linked to obesity are present in Spanish children during infant-juvenile stages.
- These abnormalities occur even at earlier ages than typically defined by MS criteria.
- Early identification and intervention for metabolic derangements in pediatric obesity are crucial.
Unlabelled:
The objectives of this study are to provide a description of the demographic, anthropometric characteristics and metabolic abnormalities in children with early-onset (< 10 years) and of very-early-onset obesity (< 5 years). We also evaluate the diagnostic ability using the definition of metabolic syndrome (MS) according to different criteria.
Methods:
It is a retrospective, case-control, cross-sectional, multicenter study. A total of 10 Pediatric Endocrinology Units in different Spanish hospitals were involved. A group of 469 children with early-onset obesity and another group of 30 children with very early-onset obesity were studied. The control group consisted of 224 healthy children younger than 10 years. Anthropometric and analytical determination of carbohydrates metabolism parameters and the lipid profile were performed.
Results:
The presence of metabolic alterations associated with obesity in children and adolescents in Spain is remarkable, either on their own, or encompassed within the definition of MS. This prevalence increases substantially when considering the peripheral resistance to insulin action as a diagnostic criterion. It also shows how children who could not be diagnosed with MS according to the definition provided by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) due to age below 10 years, these alterations are already present in a remarkable percentage. In fact, metabolic abnormalities are already present in the very-early-onset obese children ( <5 years).
Conclusion:
In Spanish children there are metabolic alterations associated with obesity in the infant-juvenile stages alone or encompassed within the definition of MS,and are already present at earlier ages.
More Related Videos
08:30Intraperitoneal Glucose Tolerance Test, Measurement of Lung Function, and Fixation of the Lung to Study the Impact of Obesity and Impaired Metabolism on Pulmonary Outcomes
Published on: March 15, 2018
09:36Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Related Concept Videos
01:24Obesity
01:26Type II Diabetes I: Introduction
01:15Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications
01:24Type II Diabetes II: Pathophysiology
01:20Pharmacokinetics in Obese Patients: Drug Metabolism and Excretion
01:20Inborn Errors of Metabolism