Physical activity pattern and its relationship with overweight and obesity in saudi children.

Background: Overweight and obesity among children and adolescents are emerging public health problems. Modifiable lifestyle factors such as physical inactivity and eating out are responsible for the increased prevalence of obesity and related health risks.

Objective: To examine physical activity level and weight status among Saudi children in relation to age and gender.

Relationship between pediatric adiposity and cardiovascular risk factors in Saudi children and adolescents.

Background: The etiology of childhood obesity is growing at alarming rates in developed and developing countries. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, dyslipidemia, and hyperglycemia) in a sample of Saudi children and to assess their association with different measures of body adiposity.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted of 200 Saudi children, who were randomly selected from the pediatric clinics at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Serum progranulin levels in relation to insulin resistance in childhood obesity.

Background: Progranulin is an adipokine that is involved in the inflammatory response, glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, and may therefore be involved in chronic subclinical inflammation associated with the pathogenesis of childhood obesity. We aimed to investigate the association of circulating progranulin levels with metabolic parameters in children and to assess the importance of progranulin as a biomarker for metabolic diseases.

Methods: A total of 150 children were consecutively recruited from the Pediatric Nutrition Clinics at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.