Metabolic impact of obesity in childhood

Childhood obesity currently is a growing problem in the United States. Using the euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic and hyperglycemic clamp techniques along with magnetic resonance imaging, the authors examined changes in glucose and lipid metabolism in vivo and their relationship to fat distribution in obese children. The studies indicated that increased visceral fat, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin resistance are closely linked abnormalities that are expressed early in the natural history of obesity.