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by Clinical Dietician Irini Christaki

SYMMETRIA's Clinical Dietician, Irini Christaki, presented results of her study at the Agia Sophia Children's Hospital as part of her PhD, at the 57th annual European Society of Paediatric Endocrinology meeting on on the 27th - 29th September 2018. 

The study is being conducted at the Childhood Obesity Clinic at the Children's Hospital and is investigating the relationship of stress levels with body composition and inflammatory markers. More specifically, the study found positive correlations between body fat percentage and metabolic syndrome markers such as insulin, C-reactive protein, ferritin, uric acid and triglycerides in children and adolescents.

In addition to this, body fat percentage was significantly associated with outward behavior, such as non-compliance and aggression, while there was a negative correlation between body fat percentage and social skills in children. Positive correlations were observed between body fat percentage and thinking/behavioural problems.

Data from this study suggests that body fat deposition in children and adolescents affects the levels of inflammation markers associated with metabolic syndrome, and that there are behaviours present in children that may be related to excess body weight or body fat.