The prevalence of children and adolescents with overweight and obesity is increasing rapidly worldwide. In addition, obesity in childhood has been described as a major public health problem once adiposity increases the risk of several inflammatory and cardiovascular disorders, and these conditions can be perpetuated in adulthood. One important modifiable risk factor of obesity is food intake. Moreover, eating habits are formed during childhood, and the quality of food intake is a determining factor for the occurrence of subclinical inflammation and cardiometabolic risk at early ages. Taken together, evidence demonstrate that bone-regulating markers such as osteocalcin, vitamin D and parathyroid hormone may be related to increased cardiometabolic risk and inflammation. In turn, these markers and skeletal homeostasis may also be influenced by diet and lifestyle. However, studies investigating the relationship between nutrition, bone health, and cardiometabolic risk in the pediatric population are scarce in the literature.
In recent decades there have been changes in the dietary pattern of the population, with an increase in the consumption of ultra-processed foods and a decrease of whole foods consumption. Such changes can be observed in all age groups, including in children and adolescents, contributing to alterations in bone mineral density and bone-regulating markers, such as osteocalcin, vitamin D and parathyroid hormone, as well as a higher risk of childhood obesity and associated comorbidities. A better understanding of diet's role in the complex interplay between skeletal homeostasis and cardiometabolic risk is urgently needed and will contribute to the implementation of effective public health policies that promote healthy eating habits. Considering that childhood is a critical phase for the formation of eating habits and unhealthy dietary patterns may impair the optimal bone growth and favor the development of inflammatory and cardiometabolic diseases, further studies are needed in pediatric populations on this topic, aiming to early prevent unfavorable health outcomes. Therefore, studies with this age group are conducive to understanding the relationship between nutrition, bone health, and cardiometabolic risk from the beginning of life. We welcome Original Research and Review articles that link Nutrition, Bone health, Inflammation, and Cardiometabolic risk during childhood.
The aims of this Research Topic are to:
1. Investigate the association between diet quality and bone health in childhood
2. Evaluate the ability of bone-regulating markers to predict inflammation and cardiometabolic risk already in childhood
3. Assess whether diet quality has a modulatory effect on the association between bone-regulating markers and cardiometabolic risk in childhood
4. Early identify target risk groups for effective nutritional interventions to prevent bone and cardiometabolic diseases
5. Determine novel approaches to improve dietary patterns in childhood and its health impact later in life.
The prevalence of children and adolescents with overweight and obesity is increasing rapidly worldwide. In addition, obesity in childhood has been described as a major public health problem once adiposity increases the risk of several inflammatory and cardiovascular disorders, and these conditions can be perpetuated in adulthood. One important modifiable risk factor of obesity is food intake. Moreover, eating habits are formed during childhood, and the quality of food intake is a determining factor for the occurrence of subclinical inflammation and cardiometabolic risk at early ages. Taken together, evidence demonstrate that bone-regulating markers such as osteocalcin, vitamin D and parathyroid hormone may be related to increased cardiometabolic risk and inflammation. In turn, these markers and skeletal homeostasis may also be influenced by diet and lifestyle. However, studies investigating the relationship between nutrition, bone health, and cardiometabolic risk in the pediatric population are scarce in the literature.
In recent decades there have been changes in the dietary pattern of the population, with an increase in the consumption of ultra-processed foods and a decrease of whole foods consumption. Such changes can be observed in all age groups, including in children and adolescents, contributing to alterations in bone mineral density and bone-regulating markers, such as osteocalcin, vitamin D and parathyroid hormone, as well as a higher risk of childhood obesity and associated comorbidities. A better understanding of diet's role in the complex interplay between skeletal homeostasis and cardiometabolic risk is urgently needed and will contribute to the implementation of effective public health policies that promote healthy eating habits. Considering that childhood is a critical phase for the formation of eating habits and unhealthy dietary patterns may impair the optimal bone growth and favor the development of inflammatory and cardiometabolic diseases, further studies are needed in pediatric populations on this topic, aiming to early prevent unfavorable health outcomes. Therefore, studies with this age group are conducive to understanding the relationship between nutrition, bone health, and cardiometabolic risk from the beginning of life. We welcome Original Research and Review articles that link Nutrition, Bone health, Inflammation, and Cardiometabolic risk during childhood.
The aims of this Research Topic are to:
1. Investigate the association between diet quality and bone health in childhood
2. Evaluate the ability of bone-regulating markers to predict inflammation and cardiometabolic risk already in childhood
3. Assess whether diet quality has a modulatory effect on the association between bone-regulating markers and cardiometabolic risk in childhood
4. Early identify target risk groups for effective nutritional interventions to prevent bone and cardiometabolic diseases
5. Determine novel approaches to improve dietary patterns in childhood and its health impact later in life.