Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 3, 2025

Determining Gender-Based Differences in Retinal and Choroidal Thickness in Underweight Individuals via Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography
03:35

Determining Gender-Based Differences in Retinal and Choroidal Thickness in Underweight Individuals via Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography

Published on: December 1, 2023

347

Obesity-induced ocular changes in children and adolescents: A review

Julia Dezor-Garus1, Elżbieta Niechciał2, Andrzej Kędzia2

  • 1Department of Ophthalmology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.

Frontiers in Pediatrics
|April 10, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Childhood obesity may affect eye health, potentially altering retinal microvasculature and nerve fiber layer thickness. More research is needed to confirm these links in children and adolescents.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a global epidemic linked to inflammation and vascular dysfunction.
  • Ocular manifestations of childhood obesity are understudied and findings are inconsistent.
  • Existing evidence suggests potential links between obesity and changes in retinal parameters.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current literature on childhood obesity and its potential ocular effects.
  • To synthesize findings from international publications between 1992 and 2022.
  • To highlight areas needing further investigation in pediatric obesity and eye health.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of international publications from 1992-2022.
  • Analysis of studies focusing on childhood obesity and ocular parameters.
  • Synthesis of evidence regarding retinal microvasculature, intraocular pressure, and retinal nerve fiber layer.

Main Results:

  • Obesity is associated with altered retinal microvasculature (wider venules, narrower arterioles, lower arteriovenous ratio).
  • Higher intraocular pressure correlates positively with high body mass index (BMI) and obesity.
  • Lower retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) values observed in obese children, negatively correlating with anthropometric/metabolic parameters.

Conclusions:

  • Childhood obesity may contribute to significant ocular changes, including retinal and choroidal thickness variations.
  • Associations between obesity and retinal vessel density require further consistent documentation.
  • This review underscores the need for continued research into the ocular complications of pediatric obesity.

Keywords:
childhood obesityintraocular pressureocular signsoptical coherence tomographyretinal microvasculatureretinal nerve fiber layer

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