Active clinical trials for "Pediatric Obesity"

The consequences of childhood obesity are devastating, affecting the physical and mental health of children. Disadvantaged school-age children are at risk for unhealthy gains in BMI during the summer months and there is a dearth of information regarding the causal health behaviors and environmental factors. The overall objective of this application is to provide an in depth examination of key dietary and physical activity behaviors as well as the food, physical activity, and social environments of low-income, racial/ethnic school-age children. To achieve this goal, an observational study utilizing a multi-state prospective cohort design will be conducted with the goal of examining the weight gain trajectory among a racially and ethnically diverse convenience sample of disadvantaged school-age children who routinely attend structured programming during the summer months and those who don't participate in structured programming. In addition, a subset of these children will be evaluated to learn their daily health behaviors, as well as their food, physical activity, and social environments during the summer. Identification of determinants of program participation and factors that may enhance the beneficial effects of program participation will also occur. A social ecological framework approach will guide the research. This study can be expected to have a significant positive impact by providing information on the factors that protect disadvantaged children from unhealthy weight gain during the summer which can be used by stakeholders at the local, state, and federal level to reform current policy that will increase child participation in health promoting programming during the summer window of risk.

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of 12 weeks of combined exercise training (CET) on arterial stiffness, endothelial function, inflammatory markers, insulin resistance, and body composition in obese adolescent girls. Thirty obese adolescent girls participated in this study. The girls were randomly divided into CET group (n=15) and control group (n=15). The CET group performed concurrent resistance training followed by aerobic training at 40-70% of the heart rate reserves (HRR) 3 days/week for 12 weeks. Plasma nitric oxide, endothelin-1, C-reactive protein, arterial stiffness, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), glucose, insulin, and the adiponectin/leptin ratio were measured before and after the 12-weeks study.

The study aims to determine the feasibility of a 6-month low glycemic dietary intervention in children and adolescents undergoing treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

One of the difficulties with diabetes care is the problem of predicting progression to more severe stages using current measures (for example blood glucose, HbA1c). This feasibility study aims to use Criticality Analysis (CA) of gait to monitor the progression of the condition as well as identifying individuals at risk of developing diabetes among children in Mexico.The study will investigate whether gait analysis can be used as a fast, reliable and cost effective way to detect individuals at risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) as early treatment could reduce the number of cases that develop into full T2DM.

The primary purpose of the BOUNCE study is to assess the effectiveness of a four-week family-based healthy lifestyle summer program in reducing adiposity indicators in Hispanic and African American girls and boys (ages 9-14 years old).

A reduction in peak heart rate (HR) and suppressed HR response during exercise is highly prevalent in obese populations. This phenomenon is also known as chronotropic incompetence (CI). In adult obese individuals, CI is independently related to elevated risk for major adverse cardiovascular events and premature death. Despite the established association between CI and prognosis in adult populations, the prognostic relevance of CI in adolescents with obesity has however deserved no attention, but is important. CI during exercise testing may indicate various, yet undetected anomalies, such as altered blood catecholamine and/or potassium concentrations during exercise, structural myocardial abnormalities or ventricular stiffness, impaired baroreflex sensitivity and cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction, atherosclerosis, or cardiac electrophysiological anomalies, which all have been detected in obese children and adolescents. However, whether CI during exercise testing may be a sensitive and specific indicator for these anomalies in obese adolescents has not been studied yet. In addition, the exact physiology behind obesity and development of heart disease remains to be studied in greater detail in obese adolescents. In this project, we examine the prevalence of CI (during maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing, CPET) in 60 obese adolescents (aged 12-16 years) vs. 60 lean adolescents, and study the association between CI and changes in CPET parameters, lactate, catecholamine and potassium concentrations during CPET, biochemical variables, and cardiac electrophysiology (by ECG recording). In addition, the relation between CI and cardiac function (echocardiography) will be examined in a subgroup (29 lean and 29 obese) of these adolescents. In this regard, the diagnostic value of HR (responses) during maximal exercise testing will be clarified in obese adolescents, and the physiology behind the elevated risk for heart disease in obese adolescents can be explored.

Obesity is significantly higher in specific ethnic groups and, in particular, Hispanics. There is an urgent need to implement culturally-sensitive lifestyle interventions and educational programs to decrease the burden of obesity and obesity-related metabolic diseases in Hispanic populations. Accordingly, our overreaching goal is to tailor an existing and successful community-based program, Abriendo Caminos, to leverage effectiveness in promoting healthy nutrition and life-style behaviors among low income, low literacy Hispanic-heritage families. Our multi-function integrated project proposes to (a) adapt Abriendo Caminos for 6-18 year-old children from Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage in five different locations (California, Illinois, Iowa, Puerto Rico, and Texas) and (b) Train existing professionals (in Extension and community agencies) and future professionals (Hispanic university students) to meet the specific needs of this population. Our central hypothesis is that participation in a 6-week community-based program will prevent childhood obesity/maintain healthy weight by significantly increasing: (a) healthy dietary behavior patterns and basic knowledge of nutrition; (b) physical activity levels; and (c) the organization of collective/shared family mealtimes. The implementation of this culturally sensitive, workshop-based curriculum in different regions across the country will help to train the next generation of professionals in Extension and communities to deliver programs that meet the needs of Hispanic families. The integration of Hispanic college students in program implementation via an experiential learning course will further strengthen the program, as well as increase recruitment and retention of Hispanic students, increasing the capacity of Hispanic communities to meet their own needs in the future.

Insulin resistance is a common complication of childhood obesity. It is considered to be an important link between adiposity and the risk factor of type 2 diabetes in children. The lifestyle modifications, including a healthy diet, physical activity and weight reduction in obese children and adolescents have been proven effective in type 2 diabetes prevention and management. Although increasing evidence suggests that Mediterranean diet could be associated with decreased risk of metabolic syndrome, diabetes, obesity and atherosclerosis in adults. The importance of this study is to find the effect of Mediterranean diet on insulin resistance among obese children and adolescents aged 10-16 years. Additionally, the results of the present study will help health professionals particularly dietitians in directing children with insulin resistance towards adopting healthy diet and lifestyle.

Childhood obesity can adversely affect every organ and often has serious consequences. Compare the effect of transection at 2cm vs at 5cm from the pylorus during laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy on the postoperative weight loss, glucagon-like peptide 1 levels and the glycemic control in morbid obese diabetic adolescents.

Active video games are presented as an exercise option for children with little interest in traditional sports. The main objectives of this study are: To evaluate the effects of an active video game program on cardiometabolic risk in overweight/obese children to identify the effect of this intervention on physical fitness to study possible changes in the sedentary lifestyles of children after the exercise program. This is a randomized crossover study, with 2 intervention periods of 9 months each, and a 3-month period of washing. Ninetytwo children between 9 and 11 years old who are overweight or obese will be included and randomly assigned to one of the 2 homogeneous groups (control-intervention). Both groups will receive education in healthy lifestyles, and the intervention group will also follow a physical exercise program with active video games (3-4 days/week). The sessions will last between 30 and 45 minutes and will include different moderate-vigorous aerobic activities and muscular strength exercises. Body composition, physical fitness, levels of leptin, adiponectin and visfatin, lipid and ferric profiles, and markers of inflammation and metabolic risk such as insulin resistance, TNF-α, CRP, ALT, AST, gamma-GT and IL-6will be measured before and after the intervention. In addition, dietary habits (24h recalls), physical activity (accelerometers), blood pressure, waist and neck circumference, and pubertal development will be also assessed.