Change in Metabolic Profile after 1-Year Nutritional-Behavioral Intervention in Obese Children

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Metabolic Health
• Lifestyle Medicine

Background:

• Inconsistent findings exist regarding cardio-metabolic improvements in obese children after lifestyle interventions.
• Obesity in children is linked to adverse metabolic profiles and increased risk of metabolic syndrome.
• Effective interventions are crucial for managing childhood obesity and its associated health complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a 1-year lifestyle intervention on body mass index (BMI), blood lipid profile, glucose metabolism, and metabolic syndrome in obese children.
• To assess changes in insulin resistance and related indices following the intervention.
• To determine the intervention's effect on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the study cohort.

Main Methods:

• A 1-year lifestyle intervention involving a normocaloric diet and physical activity was implemented.
• Eighty-five obese children (age ≥6 years) participated in the study.
• Measurements included BMI z-score, fasting blood lipids, insulin, glucose, HOMA-IR, HOMA-β%, QUICKI, triglyceride glucose index, and metabolic syndrome criteria.

Main Results:

• The intervention led to a significant reduction in BMI z-score, triglycerides, and the triglyceride glucose index.
• High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels increased significantly post-intervention.
• Prevalence of insulin resistance decreased from 51.8% to 36.5%, and metabolic syndrome prevalence dropped from 17.1% to 4.9%.

Conclusions:

• Nutritional and behavioral interventions can effectively improve blood lipid profiles and insulin sensitivity in obese children.
• The lifestyle intervention demonstrated positive effects on metabolic syndrome markers, suggesting long-term health benefits.
• Targeted lifestyle modifications are a viable strategy for managing cardio-metabolic risk factors in pediatric obesity.