About this Research Topic
Childhood obesity is one of the main public health problems in the world.
Obesity has always existed, although it used to be very rare in children. Trouble arose when its prevalence started rising dramatically first in wealthier countries then all around the world.
Complexity applies to the underlying pathways of childhood obesity, which, like in cancers, vary among individuals, although the general mechanism is always that energy intake exceeding energy expenditure leads to its storage in the form of fat tissue.
Obesity-related science permitted a number of fascinating discoveries, not least that adipose tissue is an endocrine organ, that the gut flora is also an organ, and that both of these interact continuously with the brain. Gene expression is modified from conception onward via epigenetic mechanisms, i.e. through, for instance, the nutritional environment, pollutants and microbiota. This process starts in utero, indicating that good health is also dependent on the mother’s lifestyle before birth. Nutritional alterations affect every aspect of the functioning of the endocrine system and metabolism, leading to serious disorders. Complexity also applies in the clinical diagnosis, management and prevention of obesity.
The aim of this Special Issue entitled “Endocrine and Metabolic consequences of childhood obesity” is to gather original research manuscripts, meta-analyses, and new reviews dealing with the endocrine and metabolic consequences of childhood obesity e.g metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia,NAFLD and others and the latest developments in their prevention and treatment. The above-mentioned potential topics are suggestions; other relevant topics will be also considered.
Obesity has always existed, although it used to be very rare in children. Trouble arose when its prevalence started rising dramatically first in wealthier countries then all around the world.
Complexity applies to the underlying pathways of childhood obesity, which, like in cancers, vary among individuals, although the general mechanism is always that energy intake exceeding energy expenditure leads to its storage in the form of fat tissue.
Obesity-related science permitted a number of fascinating discoveries, not least that adipose tissue is an endocrine organ, that the gut flora is also an organ, and that both of these interact continuously with the brain. Gene expression is modified from conception onward via epigenetic mechanisms, i.e. through, for instance, the nutritional environment, pollutants and microbiota. This process starts in utero, indicating that good health is also dependent on the mother’s lifestyle before birth. Nutritional alterations affect every aspect of the functioning of the endocrine system and metabolism, leading to serious disorders. Complexity also applies in the clinical diagnosis, management and prevention of obesity.
The aim of this Special Issue entitled “Endocrine and Metabolic consequences of childhood obesity” is to gather original research manuscripts, meta-analyses, and new reviews dealing with the endocrine and metabolic consequences of childhood obesity e.g metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia,NAFLD and others and the latest developments in their prevention and treatment. The above-mentioned potential topics are suggestions; other relevant topics will be also considered.
Keywords: obesity, children, endocrine consequences
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