Prevalence of and risk factors for overweight and obesity among adolescents in Morocco.

Background: Overweight and obesity among children and adolescents is a major public health concern and their prevalence is increasing worldwide at an alarming rate in both developing and developed countries.

Aims: The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity in a representative sample of 12-18-year-old schooled adolescents in Fez, Morocco, and to investigate the possible risk factors associated with adolescent obesity.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2014 and March 2015 in public secondary schools.

Effect of heat and enzymatic treatments on human IgE and rabbit IgG sensitivity to white bean allergens.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of the population of Fez and Casablanca in Morocco to dry white beans (Phaseolus Vulgaris) and to investigate the effect of food processing (heat and/or enzymatic hydrolysis by pepsin) on this sensitivity. Work was based on a bank consisting of 146 sera from patients with atopic hypersensitivity in order to evaluate specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels to native and processed white bean proteins by ELISA. Under the same conditions, we assessed the immunoreactivity of rabbit IgG obtained by immunization with native white bean proteins.