Overweight in Adolescence Can Be Predicted at Age 6 Years: A CART Analysis in German Cohorts

Objective: To examine, whether overweight in adolescents can be predicted from the body mass index (BMI) category, at the age of 6, the mother's education level and mother's obesity and to quantify the proportion of overweight at the age of 14 that can be explained by these predictors. Method: Pooled data from three German cohorts providing anthropometric and other relevant data to a total of 1 287 children. We used a classification and regression tree (CART) approach to identify the contribution of BMI category at the age of 6 (obese: BMI>97th percentile (P97);overweight: P90P90) at the age of 14. Results: While 4.8% [95% CI: 3.2;7.0] of 651 boys and 4.1% [95% CI: 2.6;6.2] of 636 girls with a BMI= P75. The lowest prevalence was 1.9% [95% CI: 0.8;3.8] in boys with a BMI P97 (similar results for girls). BMI >= P75 at the age of 6 explained 63.5% [95% CI: 51.1;74.5]) and 72.0% [95% CI: 60.4;81.8] of overweight/obesity at the age of 14 in boys and girls, respectively. Conclusions: Overweight/obesity in adolescence can be predicted by BMI category at the age of 6 allowing for parent counselling or risk guided interventions in children with BMI >= P75, who accounted for >2/3 of overweight/obesity in adolescents

Food intake of European adolescents in the light of different food-based dietary guidelines : results of the HELENA (Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence) study

Objective: Since inadequate food consumption patterns during adolescence are not only linked with the occurrence of obesity in youth but also with the subsequent risk of developing diseases in adulthood, the establishment and maintenance of a healthy diet early in life is of great public health importance. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to describe and evaluate the food consumption of a well-characterized sample of European adolescents against food-based dietary guidelines for the first time. Design: The HELENA (Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence) Study is a cross-sectional study, whose main objective was to obtain comparable data on a variety of nutritional and health-related parameters in adolescents aged 12.5-17.5 years. Setting: Ten cities in Europe. Subjects: The initial sample consisted of more than 3000 European adolescents. Among these, 1593 adolescents (54% female) had sufficient and plausible dietary data on energy and food intakes from two 24 h recalls using the HELENA-DIAT software. Results: Food intake of adolescents in Europe is not optimal compared with the two food-based dietary guidelines, Optimized Mixed Diet and Food Guide Pyramid, examined in this study. Adolescents eat half of the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables and less than two-thirds of the recommended amount of milk (and milk products), but consume much more meat (and meat products), fats and sweets than recommended. However, median total energy intake may be estimated to be nearly in line with the recommendations. Conclusion: The results urge the need to improve the dietary habits of adolescents in order to maintain health in later life

Long-term trends of BMI and cardiometabolic risk factors among adults with type 1 diabetes: An observational study from the German/Austrian DPV registry

Aims: To analyse time-trends in BMI, obesity and cardiometabolic risk in adults with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) from the Diabetes Prospective Follow-up registry DPV. Methods: Data from 62,519 individuals with T1DM (age ≥ 18 years, BMI ≥ 18.5 kg/m2) were analysed. Multivariable regression models were used to determine time-trends in BMI, obesity and cardiometabolic risk and to identify predictors for increasing BMI. Results were compared to the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) data for Germany. Results: Between 1999 and 2018 mean BMI increased from 25.0 kg/m2 to 26.2 kg/m2 in individuals with T1DM. This trend was most pronounced in young and middle-aged individuals (>21-55 years of age) and in those with higher baseline BMI. Insulin dose and diabetes duration were associated with increasing BMI. Between 1999 and 2016, the prevalence of obesity increased 1.8-fold in individuals with T1DM and 1.4-fold among the German population, respectively (NCD-RisC). Approximately 50-70% of individuals with obesity were insufficiently treated for hypertension and/or dyslipidaemia. Conclusion: In adults with T1DM the prevalence of obesity is increasing at a faster pace than in the German population. BMI needs to be closely monitored, particularly during young adulthood, and cardiovascular risk factors need to be controlled better to prevent CVD and premature death