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Plasma beta-endorphin and insulin concentrations in relation to body fat and nutritional parameters in overweight and
1III Department of Pediatrics, Silesian Academy of Medicine, Batorego, Poland.
Insights
In overweight children, higher plasma beta-endorphin (beta-end) and insulin levels correlate with increased body fat and appetite. Beta-endorphin may indicate appetite in obese children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Obesity Research
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern.
- Understanding hormonal and metabolic factors in pediatric obesity is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between plasma beta-endorphin (beta-end) and insulin concentrations.
- To assess these relationships with body fat percentage and nutritional intake in prepubertal children.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 143 overweight/obese and 48 healthy prepubertal children (ages 5.8-9.6).
- Measured plasma beta-endorphin and insulin, body fat (skinfold thickness), and dietary intake (energy, macronutrients).
Main Results:
- Overweight/obese children had significantly higher beta-endorphin and insulin levels.
- Beta-endorphin and insulin concentrations positively correlated with body fat percentage.
- Beta-endorphin levels correlated positively with energy and macronutrient intake in obese children.
Conclusions:
- Elevated beta-endorphin and insulin are linked to obesity in prepubertal children.
- These hormones correlate with body fat and appetite indicators.
- Plasma beta-endorphin may serve as an appetite indicator in non-restricted obese children.
Objective:
To investigate the relationship between plasma beta-endorphin (beta-end) and insulin concentrations and 1) body fat, and 2) nutritional parameters in overweight or obese prepubertal children.
Design:
Cross-sectional study on plasma beta-end and insulin concentrations, body fat, indirect parameters of appetite namely daily energy and macronutrient intake.
Subjects:
143 (67 boys and 76 girls) overweight or obese children (group I) and 48 (27 boys and 21 girls) healthy children with normal parameters of somatic development (group II). Age: 5.8-9.6 y.
Measurements:
Weight, height and subcutaneous skinfold thicknesses, plasma beta-end and insulin concentrations, diet history for energy and macronutrient intake.
Results:
Group I was characterised by significantly higher average concentrations of beta-end and insulin in comparison to the control group. The analysis of these concentrations in the subgroups in relation to the percentage of body fat indicates that beta-end concentrations increased more than insulin concentrations with increasing fatness. A significantly positive correlation between beta-end and insulin levels was only noted in group I. Also, only in this group was there a significant positive correlation between beta-end levels and energy and macronutrient intake. In both groups the percentage of energy intake which was fat, correlated positively with beta-end concentrations. Furthermore energy and fat intakes showed a significant positive correlation with insulin levels in both groups.
Conclusions:
beta-endorphin and insulin concentrations in overweight and obese prepubertal children are not only higher than in non-obese children but also are positively correlated with each other and with the percentage of body fat. The relationship between plasma beta-end levels and food intake shows that the beta-end level may be able to be used as an indicator of appetite in overweight and obese prepubertal children whose food intake is not restricted.