Childhood obesity is a topic of concern for parents spanning
the globe as the number of children dealing with this problem has grown from
year to year. Doctors and scientists are working tirelessly to understand how
to curb this problem and provide a healthier future for all of our children.
According to the World Health
Organization, in 2010 the number of overweight children under the age of
five, was estimated to be over 42 million worldwide. In the US, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that over the past 30 years,
childhood obesity has doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents. Excess
weight during childhood can lead to obesity during adulthood, as well as health
problems such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
There is a medical consensus that childhood obesity can be
prevented. How this can be done efficiently on a global scale remains a
mystery. A few studies done in the last decade have explored the link between
vitamin deficiency and childhood obesity. Doctors are keen to understand
specifically how micronutrient levels in the body affect metabolism, insulin
uptake and chronic inflammation.
According to a study
published in Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders, Iranian
researchers found that zinc
supplementation had a marked effect on insulin resistance, oxidative
stress, and inflammation among prepubescent children with metabolic syndrome, a
common disease caused by obesity. Two groups of children participated in the
study. One group was given a placebo and the second group was given daily zinc
supplements. The groups were switched after a month-long break. In both groups,
children who received zinc exhibited a decrease in their mean weight and BMI,
in addition to decreased LDL cholesterol.
Another study published
in the journal Nutrients in December 2013 examined how Vitamins
A, C, E, iron and zinc affect children suffering from obesity and metabolic
syndrome. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between
micronutrient status and obesity, lipid profile, insulin resistance and
low-grade systemic inflammation in school-aged children.
The researchers examined a group of 197 school-aged children
using the following parameters: body composition, blood analysis, dietary
intake and socioeconomic status. After analyzing the data, the scientists came
to the following conclusions:
In conclusion, low vitamin C concentration and the vitamin
E:lipids ratio were associated with obesity. In addition, low concentrations of
vitamins A, E and zinc in children who were overweight and obese were
associated with lipids, inflammation and insulin resistance.
No comments:
Post a Comment