Childhood obesity and chronic disease risk in adulthood

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K02353
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 09030:Childhood and nursery/pre-school education-related
• Research Institution: Mie University
• Principal Investigator: Togashi Kenji 三重大学, 教育学部, 教授 (10227564)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 肥満小児 / 長期予後 / 内臓脂肪面積 / 血液生化学値 / 生活習慣病

Outline of Final Research Achievements

1)A follow-up study was conducted by mail on 1377 people who were obese in childhood, and 304 people who responded were targeted. Among those who were mildly obese in childhood, 55.9% were determined to be obese in adulthood, while 81.6% were severely obese in childhood. It was found that men were more likely to remain obese.
2)Clinical tests were conducted on 57 of the above subjects who requested retesting. The group with persistent obesity had a higher risk of lifestyle-related diseases than the group whose obesity had resolved. The correlation between laboratory test values during childhood and adulthood suggests the possibility of estimating future cardiovascular risk. These results suggest that as obesity continues for a long time, visceral fat accumulates independently of BMI, increasing the risk of lifestyle-related diseases.

Free Research Field

小児健康科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、小児期に肥満を呈していた者を対象とし、成人期に調査紙、もしくは直接的な臨床検査を実施し、小児期の肥満が成人期の生活習慣病リスクに及ぼす影響を検討した。小児期に肥満の程度が高い者ほど、成人期に肥満を呈する確率は高く、特に小児期の高度肥満者の8割が成人期に肥満を呈していた。一方、成人期に肥満を解消すると内臓脂肪面積や血液生化学値も正常範囲内にとどまったのに対し、肥満を継続した者では生活習慣病のリスクが高い状態にあった。このように直接的に個人の小児期と成人期の情報を結びつけて生活習慣病リスクを検討した報告は国内外でも稀であり、小児期の肥満に対し早期に対応する意義を示すものである。