Background. A recently growing number of children and adolescents with overweight or obesity is indicative of the need for diagnosing their complications that may appear in the early childhood. For this reason, diagnostic criteria were developed for components of the metabolic syndrome (MS) also for these groups of the population. Objective. This study was aimed at evaluating the frequency of metabolic syndrome risk factors occurrence in children and adolescents from the city of Wrocław and surroundings depending on gender, age and physical activity. Material and methods. Investigations on the frequency of occurrence of dietary and non-dietary risk factors of the metabolic syndrome were carried out in the years 2010-2017 among 771 children and adolescents aged 10-18 year, attending to primary schools, gymnasiums and secondary schools in Wrocław. Results. The lack of any components of the metabolic syndrome was demonstrated in 14.78% of the children aged 10-12 years as well as in 17.38% of both adolescents aged 13-15 and 17-18 years. One risk factor was most frequently diagnosed in children aged 10-12 years (17.89%) and it was arterial hypertension (16.08% of the whole surveyed population). Three MS components were demonstrated in 15 persons (1.95% of the whole surveyed population), including in 7 girls and 8 boys. The persons with three MS risk factors from the age category 13-15 years constituted 0.26% whereas these from the age category 17-18 years constituted 1.69% of the whole surveyed group. Conclusions. It shall be concluded that the incidence of the fully symptomatic MS depended significantly on the age of the surveyed, but not on their gender. Among the three adopted components of MS, the most frequently demonstrated disorders included: arterial hypertension, abdominal obesity and increased concentration of triglycerides in blood serum.

According to the WHO, the number of overweight people (BMI ≥ 25) and obese people (BMI ≥ 30) is constantly growing. On the other hand, the number of elderly people (≥60 years old) in 2020 reached 1.4 billion worldwide. Both mentioned groups demonstrate their individual and characteristic appetite disorders. In light of the side effects of appetite stimulating drugs, which interfere with diabetics, hypertension and thrombosis medicines or diet supplements with doubtful effectiveness in reducing appetite, new and natural alternatives are highly demanded. Therefore, the present study focusses on the search for natural food aromas, which may have potential for appetite regulation. A survey was carried out among consumers with excess body weight (BMI ≥ 25) and the elderly (≥60 years old). Food products and meals pointed out by the survey participants were subjected to volatile analysis by HS-SPME Arrow followed by GC-MS. As a result, a group of volatiles and their odor characteristic were determined for appetite stimulation or reduction, which may suggest that the actual composition of food aroma is more significant than the character of the aroma. Those results may be a basis for designing appetite regulating agents, in which the mechanism of action will be based only on olfaction activity.

JEL Classification: I15, I31Streszczenie: Czynnikami sprzyjającymi procesowi rozkładu witaminy C są: podwyższona temperatura, obecność tlenu, środowisko obojętne lub zasadowe, obecność enzymów utleniających, obecność jonów metali, takich jak żelazo, miedź i srebro. Żywność przetworzona jest uboga w naturalne składniki odżywcze, w tym witaminy, których ilości są znacznie redukowane w stosowanych powszechnie procesach technologicznych przetwarzania żywności. W badaniach oznaczono metodą miareczkową Tillmansa zawartość witaminy C w ziemniaku (Solanum tuberosum) odmiany Bryza z wykorzystaniem różnych procesów technologicznych stosowanych w gastronomii i gospodarstwach domowych przy produkcji potraw. Wykazano, że najniższą zawartość witaminy C oznaczono w plackach ziemniaczanych. Największą zawartość witaminy C miały ziemniaki surowe, następnie wrzucone i gotowane we wrzącej wodzie oraz gotowane w łupinie.Słowa kluczowe: ziemniaki, obróbka żywności, witamina C. Summary: Factors that influence the process of vitamin C reduction are: higher temperature, presence of oxygen, neutral or alkaline environment, presence of oxidizing enzymes, and metal ions, such as iron, copper and silver. The processed food is low in natural nutrients, including vitamins, whose amounts are greatly reduced in food processing. Contents of vitamin C in processed potatos (Solanum tuberosum) Bryza variety were measured by Tillmans method. We conducted different processes which are used in catering and households to prepare meals. It was shown that the smallest content of vitamin C was in potato pancakes. The highest content of vitamin C was in raw potatoes, then thrown and boiled in boiling water and in sample from boiled unpeeled potatoes.

Background. The lifestyle of young boys has impact on the risks of cardiovascular diseases. Objective. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of atherosclerosis risk factors determined by overweight and obesity and lifestyle, i.e.: eating habits, low physical activity and smoking cigarettes, on blood lipid profile of boys at the age of 16 to 18. Material and Methods. The study covered 369 boys from secondary schools. They were evaluated for the supply of dietary constituents with atherogenic and protective actions, for nutritional status acc. to Cole’s criteria, the level of physical activity, and smoking cigarettes. Lipid metabolism was determined based on criteria recommended by the American National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP). Logistic regression analysis was conducted and risk odds ratio [OR] was determined. Results. Analyses showed the boys to be characterized by overweight (10.8%) and obesity (2.7%), and by inappropriate concentration of total cholesterol (26.5%), LDL (13.3%), HDL (21.7%) and triglycerides (41.7%). High BMI turned out to be a significant risk factor of an elevated total cholesterol concentration: [aOR]=2.27; triglycerides: [aOR]=2.35 and LDL: [aOR]=2.41. Low physical activity was found to negatively affect the concentration of LDL: [aOR]=1.88. The boys smoking cigarettes were shown to have a reduced HDL: [aOR]=1.65. The total content of fat and saturated fatty acids in diet exerted a significantly negative impact on blood lipid profile of the boys. Conclusions. The lifestyle of the young boys was demonstrated to determine the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Overweight and obesity, abdominal obesity in particular, were found to be a significant risk factor of disorders in their lipid metabolism.