Secular Changes in Body Build and Body Composition in Czech Preschool Children in the Context of Latent Obesity

Anthropometric and Biochemical Correlations of Insulin Resistance in a Middle-Aged Maltese Caucasian Population

Background

Insulin resistance (IR) is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk, and with increased all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality. A number of surrogate markers are used in clinical practice to diagnose IR. The aim of this study was to investigate the discriminatory power of a number of routinely available anthropometric and biochemical variables in predicting IR and to determine their optimal cutoffs.

Methods

We performed a cross-sectional study in a cohort of middle-aged individuals. We used receiver operator characteristics (ROC) analyses in order to determine the discriminatory power of parameters of interest in detecting IR, which was defined as homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance ≥2.5.

Results

Both the lipid accumulation product (LAP) and visceral adiposity index (VAI) exhibited good discriminatory power to detect IR in both males and females. The optimal cutoffs were 42.5 and 1.44, respectively, in males and 36.2 and 1.41, respectively, in females. Serum triglycerides (TG) and waist circumference (WC) similarly demonstrated good discriminatory power in detecting IR in both sexes. The optimal cutoffs for serum TG and WC were 1.35 mmol/L and 96.5 cm, respectively, in men and 1.33 mmol/L and 82 cm, respectively, in women. On the other hand, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, liver transaminases, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, serum uric acid, ferritin, waist-hip ratio, "A" body shape, thigh circumference, and weight-adjusted thigh circumference all had poor discriminatory power.

Conclusions

Our data show that LAP, VAI, TG, and WC all have good discriminatory power in detecting IR in both men and women. The optimal cutoffs for TG and WC were lower than those currently recommended in both sexes. Replication studies are required in different subpopulations and different ethnicities in order to be able to update the current cut points to ones which reflect the contemporary population as well as to evaluate their longitudinal relationship with longer-term cardiometabolic outcomes.

Associations of self-perceived and objective BMI and adiposity status among adolescents from Kraków (Poland)

OBJECTIVES

The study aimed to determine the association of self-perceived and objective BMI and adiposity status among adolescents from Kraków (Poland).

METHODS

The study was carried out in 2022, in randomly selected schools in Kraków (Poland). The study group consisted of 93 individuals (47 girls and 46 boys) aged 11-15. Anthropometric characteristics included body height, body weight and body fat percentage (%BF), measured by bioimpedance method (BIA). Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated. Self-perceived body weight/adiposity status was obtained using a question extracted from the Polish version of the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC).

RESULTS

The results of the current study provide evidence that girls who were dissatisfied with their bodies thought they were too fat, while boys, on the contrary, thought they were too thin. Trends in this regard begin to appear in girls around the age of 11, while in boys at around 12/13.

CONCLUSION

It is worth noting that the dissatisfaction of the examined children with their physique coincided with the onset of puberty. As some children begin puberty earlier than others, making them stand out from their peers. They begin to give more attention to their bodies and compare them with the physiques of others. Additionally, comparing one's body to the "ideal figure" depicted on social media and ones inability to obtain it also can lead to body dissatisfaction.

Body height, weight, and Body Mass Index - magnitude and pace of secular changes in children and adolescents from Kraków (Poland) between 1983 and 2020

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to analyze the occurrence and pace of secular trends regarding body height, weight, and Body Mass Index (BMI) among children and adolescents from Kraków (Poland) examined in 1983, 2000, 2010, and 2020.

METHODS

The study group consisted of 17 407 individuals (8650 girls and 8757 boys) aged 3-18 included in four cross-sectional studies conducted in 1983, 2000, 2010, and 2020.Analyzed anthropometric characteristics included body height (measured according to Martin's technique, with an anthropometer) and body weight. BMI was calculated as follows: body weight (kg)/body height² (m).

RESULTS

Results of the current study suggest that there was a cessation of previously observed secular increase of the body height in the examined population in the recent decade. Additionally, secular changes regarding body height, body mass, and BMI occurred noticeably slower in the recent decade compared to the previous years.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, the rapid increase of body height in the years 1983-2000 and later secular increase of the body mass and BMI in 2000-2010 were probably associated mainly with significant socio-economic progress of the country. On the other hand, deceleration of those trends in 2010-2020, especially in regards to body height, may be associated with reaching the maximum genetically attainable body height in the examined population.

Differences in Puberty of Girls before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

In the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in consultations for precocious puberty. We aim to analyze differences in female puberty before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional analytical study was designed at the Pediatric Endocrinology Clinic of the University Hospital of the Federal University of Maranhão in São Luis, Brazil. We included 55 girls with precocious puberty, 22 who started puberty during the pandemic and 33 who started puberty before the pandemic. Clinical, anthropometric, laboratory and imaging variables were compared between groups. Statistics were performed to determine if there was a statistical difference between the groups. Girls with puberty during the pandemic had higher Z-scores for weight (1.08 ± 1.29 versus 0.69 ± 0.83; p = 0.04), lower ovarian volume (1.88 ± 0.95 versus 3.15 ± 2.31; p = 0.01), and smaller differences between thelarche noticed by the parents and the diagnosis (6.63 ± 5.21 versus 12.15 ± 9.96; p = 0.02). The association between precocious puberty during the pandemic with higher Z-scores for weight, lower ovarian volume, and a reduction in the time between the perception of pubertal findings by parents and the diagnosis suggests the influence of the pandemic on the normal time of puberty.

Insufficient Physical Fitness and Deficits in Basic Eating Habits in Normal-Weight Obese Children Are Apparent from Pre-School Age or Sooner

Normal-weight obesity appears to be an extended diagnosis/syndrome associated with insufficient physical fitness levels and inadequate eating habits at least from school years. However, its relation to long term health parameters in pre-school children remains unknown, even though pre-school age is crucial for the determining healthy lifelong habits. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate the differences in physical fitness level and basic eating habits between normal-weight obese, normal-weight non-obese, and overweight and obese preschoolers. The research sample consisted of 188 preschoolers aged 4.0–6.9 years (M_age = 5.52 ± 0.8 year), normal-weight obese = 25; normal-weight non-obese = 143, overweight and obese = 20. Body composition was measured using bio-impedance InBody230. Six tests assessed the physical fitness level: sit-ups; standing long jump; shuttle running 4 × 5 meters; throwing with a tennis ball; multistage fitness tests; sit and reach. A four-item eating habits questionnaire for parents focusing on breakfast regularity, consumption of sweet foods and drinks, selection of food and attitude towards eating was used. A non-parametric analysis of variance and Fisher’s exact test along with suitable effect sizes were used for data processing of physical fitness tests and the basic eating habits questionnaire, respectively. Normal-weight obese children performed significantly worse (from p = 0.03 to p < 0.001, ES ω2-G = low to medium) in muscular fitness, cardiorespiratory fitness and running agility compared to normal-weight non-obese counterparts and did not significantly differ in the majority of physical fitness performance tests from overweight and obese peers. In basic eating habits, normal-weight obese boys preferred significantly more sweet foods and drinks (p = 0.003 ES = 0.35, large), while normal-weight obese girls had significantly more negative attitude towards eating (p = 0.002 ES = 0.33, large) in comparison to their normal-weight non-obese peers. Normal-weight obesity seems to develop from early childhood and is associated with low physical fitness and deficits in eating habits which might inhibit the natural necessity for physically active life from pre-school age or sooner.