Obese kids show signs of metabolic syndrome

Overweight children and adolescents often show signs of the metabolic syndrome - a cluster of risk factors that raise the risk of heart disease and diabetes. These include, in addition to excess body weight, high levels of blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels. The good news is that diet and exercise can have a positive effect on reducing these risk factors in overweight youth. Researchers from the Children's Hospital Los Angeles, USA, studied 109 substantially overweight 8- to 16-year-olds wherein half had multiple risk factors associated with the metabolic syndrome. Ten percent had impaired fasting glucose and/or impaired glucose tolerance, precursors to full-blown diabetes. Importantly, a subset of children who completed a 12-week family-centred lifestyle intervention programme saw significant improvements in body mass index, blood pressure, lipids, blood sugar, and the fat-related hormone leptin. A fitness programme was developed, which consisted of once-weekly 90-minute sessions. For 45 minutes, the children played dodge ball, volleyball, jump rope, and ran to promote moderate to vigorous aerobic activity. While the children exercised, parents attended education sessions focusing on the harmful effects of obesity. During the last 45 minutes, children and parents came together to learn about nutrition and healthy eating habits from a registered dietician. The above study suggests that an intensive lifestyle intervention that combines nutrition education and exercise may improve metabolic outcomes in as little as 12 weeks. However, further long-term studies are needed to see whether these improvements can be sustained.