Background: Obesity is the most common chronic metabolic disease in children and adolescents. It has reached epidemic ranges and is a significant global problem.
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the possible metabolic disturbances in children and adolescents with obesity and severe obesity.
Subjects and methods: This cross-sectional study included 158 (82 boys, 76 girls) obese children and adolescents between ages of 0 and 17years (10.43 ± 3.11 years). The obesity was defined according to the sex- and age-specific growth charts proposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as BMI ≥ 95th percentile. Severe obesity was classified as 120% of the 95th percentile for age and sex. Study participants underwent medical assessment and analysis of: ALT, AST, fasting serum triglycerides, total serum cholesterol, fasting plasma glucose and plasma glucose from oral glucose tolerance test.
Results: The majority of study participants were severely obese (69.92%). The highest distribution of abnormal biochemical results was seen in elevated ALT (53.91%) followed by elevated triglycerides (34.75%). The prevalence of abnormal total cholesterol level was significantly higher (p=0.04) in the group of obese children compared to the severely obese children. The levels of total cholesterol were also statistically higher in the group of adolescents compared to preadolescents (p=0.02). An important number of obese patients (2.5%) and even higher number of severely obese patients (5.26%) had carbohydrate intolerance.
Conclusion: There was a significant elevation of ALT, total serum cholesterol and triglycerides in all study participants. High serum lipids and high hepatic enzymes (as introduction in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) are alarming. Strikingly, there was carbohydrate intolerance in an important number of patients. Treatment and education of patients and parents is mandatory. Preventive measures in the society concerning childhood obesity are necessary.
