Is there a causal relationship between obesity and puberty?

The onset of puberty in adolescents and whether it is related to obesity is an ongoing topic for debate. Epidemiological cross-sectional and longitudinal studies show a shift towards earlier onset of puberty in girls who are obese; however, the situation is less clear in boys. Boys who are overweight seem to mature earlier, and boys who are obese mature later, than boys at a healthy weight.

Inflammation Markers in Type 2 Diabetes and the Metabolic Syndrome in the Pediatric Population.

Purpose Of Review: Chronic inflammation, adipokines, and hepatokines have been identified as basis of insulin resistance and β cell failure in animal models. We present our current knowledge concerning the potential relationship between these cytokines, inflammation, metabolic syndrome (MetS), and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the pediatric population.

Recent Findings: Pro-inflammatory cytokines related to insulin resistance and MetS in children are tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, interferon gamma, pigment epithelium-derived factor, chemerin, vaspin, and fetuin A.

Effect of Weight Loss on Puberty Onset in Overweight Children.

Objective: To assess the impact of weight changes on the onset of puberty in overweight children.

Study Design: We evaluated the timing of puberty onset in 160 prepubertal overweight children (aged 11.2 ± 1.

Effects of methylphenidate on weight gain and food intake in hypothalamic obesity.

Unlabelled: For patients with a craniopharyngioma (CP), treatment of hypothalamic obesity (HO) and hyperphagia following resection and/or radiotherapy is extremely difficult and few reports have been published on potential drug therapies. Psychomotor stimulant methylphenidate (MPH) has been reported to inhibit food intake (FI). In this paper, we report reduction of body mass index (BMI) and appetite in an adolescent CP patient suffering from HO.

Androgens before and after weight loss in obese children.

Context: Little information is available on androgens in obese children, and it is unknown whether these hormones change after weight loss.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare androgens between obese and normal-weight children and to study the effect of weight loss on androgens.

Design: The design was a cross-sectional comparison between obese and normal-weight children separated according to pubertal stage and longitudinal 1-yr follow-up study in obese children participating in a weight-loss intervention.