Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon.
Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
Obes Rev. 2024 Nov;25(11):e13807. doi: 10.1111/obr.13807. Epub 2024 Jul 23.
Childhood obesity represents a significant public health concern, imposing a substantial burden on the healthcare system. Furthermore, weight-loss programs often exhibit reduced effectiveness in adults who have a history of childhood obesity. Therefore, early intervention against childhood obesity is imperative. Presently, the primary method for diagnosing childhood obesity relies on body mass index (BMI), yet this approach has inherent limitations. Leptin, a satiety hormone produced by adipocytes, holds promise as a superior tool for predicting both childhood and subsequent adulthood obesity. In this review, we elucidate the tools employed for assessing obesity in children, delve into the biological functions of leptin, and examine the factors governing its expression. Additionally, we discuss maternal and infantile leptin levels as predictors of childhood obesity. By exploring the relationship between leptin levels and weight loss, we present leptin as a potential indicator of the effectiveness of obesity interventions.
儿童肥胖代表着一个重大的公共卫生关注点，给医疗保健系统带来了巨大的负担。此外，对于有儿童期肥胖史的成年人来说，减肥计划往往效果降低。因此，针对儿童肥胖的早期干预至关重要。目前，诊断儿童肥胖的主要方法依赖于身体质量指数（BMI），但这种方法存在内在的局限性。瘦素是由脂肪细胞产生的一种饱腹感激素，作为预测儿童期和随后成年期肥胖的更好工具具有广阔前景。在这篇综述中，我们阐明了用于评估儿童肥胖的工具，深入探讨了瘦素的生物学功能，并研究了其表达的调节因素。此外，我们还讨论了母性和婴儿期瘦素水平作为儿童肥胖预测指标的作用。通过探讨瘦素水平与体重减轻之间的关系，我们提出瘦素作为肥胖干预效果的潜在指标。
