Potential risk factors for cardiovascular diseases already tend to cluster in childhood and they are strongly associated with obesity. Our observations suggest that the development of the metabolic cardiovascular syndrome has its origin in childhood.

We observed no significant effect of supplementation on the cognitive function of children, but maternal DHA status may be related to later cognitive function in children. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01180933.

Previously we reported significantly higher values of γ-linolenic acid (GLA, 18:3n-6), dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DHGLA,, and arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) in plasma lipid classes in obese children than in nonobese controls. In the present study, fatty acid composition of plasma phospholipids (PL) and sterol esters (STE) was determined by high-resolution capillary gas-liquid chromatography in obese children with and without metabolic cardiovascular syndrome [MCS: defined as simultaneous presence of (i) dyslipidemia, (ii) hyperinsulinemia, (iii) hypertension, and (iv) impaired glucose tolerance] and in nonobese controls. Fatty acid composition of PL and STE lipids did not differ between obese children without MCS and controls. Obese children with MCS exhibited significantly lower linoleic acid (LA, values in PL (17.43 [2.36], % wt/wt, median [range from the first to the third quartile]) than obese children without MCS (19.14 [3.49]) and controls (20.28 [3.80]). In contrast, PL GLA values were significantly higher in obese children with (0.13 [0.08]) than in those without MCS (0.08 [0.04]), whereas STE GLA values were higher in obese children with MCS (1.04 [0.72]) than in controls (0.62 [0.48]). DHGLA values in PL were significantly higher in obese children with MCS (4.06 [0.74]) than in controls (2.69 [1.60]). The GLA/LA ratio was significantly higher, whereas the AA/DHGLA ratio was significantly lower in obese children with MCS than in obese children without MCS and in controls. In this study, LA metabolism was affected only in obese children with but not in those without MCS. In obese children with MCS, ∆6-desaturase activity appeared to be stimulated, whereas ∆5-desaturase activity appeared to be inhibited. Disturbances in LA metabolism may represent an additional health hazard within the multifaceted clinical picture of MCS.Prevalence of childhood obesity is high and still increasing in many affluent countries. In children and adolescents investigated from 1988 to 1991 in the United States, the prevalence of overweight based on body mass index was 11% according to the 95th and 22% according to the 85th percentile cutoff points (1). In Hungary, the prevalence of childhood obesity defined as body mass index exceeding the 90th percentile is around 13% (2). The long-term morbidity and mortality associated with childhood obesity are closely connected to the cardiovascular and metabolic status detectable in the pediatric age group (3). Therefore, identification of cardiovascular risk factors in obese children is of practical importance.Previously we found significantly higher percentage contributions of the n-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), γ-linolenic acid (GLA, 18:3n-6), dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DHGLA, 20:3n-6), and arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4n-6) to the fatty acid composition of plasma lipid classes in obese children than in nonobese controls (4). Since LCPUFA are prone to lipid peroxidation, their enhanced availability in circulating lipids may represent a further risk factor of atherogenesis in ob...

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BackgroundChildhood obesity proves to be an important public health issue, since it serves as a potential risk factor for multiple diseases. Food addiction could also serve as an important etiological factor. As childhood obesity plays a serious issue also in Hungary, we aimed to adapt and validate the Hungarian version of the Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children (H-YFAS-C).MethodsA total of 191 children were assessed with the H-YFAS-C and the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI). The following psychometric properties were analyzed: internal consistency, construct validity, convergent, and discriminant validity.ResultsA good construct validity was revealed by confirmatory factor analysis (RMSEA = 0.0528, CFI = 0.896, χ2 value = 279.06). Question 25 proved to have no significant effect on its group and was removed from further analyses. The Kuder–Richardson 20 coefficient indicated good internal consistency (K20 = 0.82). With the use of the eight EDI subscales, a good convergent and discriminant validity could be determined. Food addiction was diagnosed in 8.9% of children. The mean symptom count was 1.7 ± 1.2 (range: 0–7). Females were more often diagnosed with food addiction than males (p = .016; OR = 3.6, 95% CI: 1.2–10.6). BMI percentiles were significantly higher in children with diagnosed food addiction (p = .003). There proved to be no correlation between age and the occurrence of food addiction.Discussion and conclusionOur results show that H-YFAS-C is a good and reliable tool for addictive-like behavior assessment.