Effect of Diet and Exercise-Induced Weight Loss among Metabolically Healthy and Metabolically Unhealthy Obese Children and Adolescents

Qin Yang, Kun Wang, Qianqian Tian, Jian Zhang, Linyu Qi and Tao Chen
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Qin Yang: International College of Football, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Kun Wang: Shanghai Dianfeng Sports Management Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200441, China
Qianqian Tian: Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
Jian Zhang: International College of Football, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Linyu Qi: International College of Football, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Tao Chen: Sports and Health Research Center, Department of Physical Education, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 10, 1-11

Abstract: Objective: To study the effect of diet- and exercise-based lifestyle intervention on weight loss (WL) and cardiovascular risk among metabolically healthy obese (MHO) and metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO) children and adolescents. Methods: The sample included 282 obese individuals (54% males, age (±SD) 12.9 (±2.3) years) who completed a 3- to 4-week WL camp program between 2017 and 2019. MUO was defined according to the consensus-based definition of pediatric MHO in 2018. Results: The intervention exhibited significantly benefits in improving body weight, body mass index, body fat ratio, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), resting heart rate (RHR), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein–cholesterol levels in both MHO and MUO groups (for all comparisons, p < 0.01). However, the beneficial high-density lipoprotein–cholesterol (HDL-C) level (both p < 0.01) decreased evidently in both groups after intervention. In addition, percent changes in SBP ( p < 0.001), DBP ( p < 0.001), RHR ( p = 0.025), fasting blood glucose ( p = 0.011), and TG ( p < 0.001) were more profound in MUO group than that in MHO group. Conclusion: Metabolical health is a mutable and transient state during childhood. Although both groups gained comparable WL benefits from diet- and exercise-based lifestyle intervention, the MUO group may benefit more than the MHO group. Strategies aiming at lowering blood pressure and preventing the decrease of HDL-C level should be considered for the precise treatment of childhood obesity in clinical practice, with the goal of improving metabolically healthy state.

Keywords: obesity; children and adolescents; metabolically healthy obesity; weight loss; diet; exercise (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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