Korean J Community Nutr.  2002 Aug;7(4):475-483.

A Study of Dietary Behavior and Serum Leptin Levels in Obese Children: The Relationship between the Obesity Index and the Serum Leptin Levels Based on Eating Habits and Eating Behaviors

• Son SJ
• Lee HJ
• Lee IK
• Choi BS
• Park MH
• Lee EJ
• Seo JY

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among eating habits, eating behaviors, obesity indices and serum leptin levels of 97 school children in the Daegu and Kyungpuk areas. The subjects consisted of 42 boys and 55 girls from the 4th and 5th grades. The prevalence rate of obesity was 63.6% in the males and 36.4% in the females. The nutritional status of the subjects was assessed using 24-hour dietary recalls and blood analyses. The mean serum leptin levels of the obese group (12.84 +/- 6.97 ng/ml) were significantly higher than those of the non-obese group (2.43 +/- 1.53 ng/ml)(p < 0.001). The mean eating behavior scores and MAR were significantly different in the two groups. Nutrient intakes were low and fell short of the RDA. Serum leptin levels showed a significant negative correlation with eating habit (r = -0.24) and eating behavior scores (r = -0.40)(p < 0.05, p < 0.001). It was speculated that nutritional intervention and education about the appropriate nutrient intake requirements of developing children might be necessary.

Keyword

leptin; eating habits and eating behaviors

MeSH Terms

Child*
Daegu
Eating*
Education
Feeding Behavior*
Female
Humans
Leptin*
Male
Nutritional Status
Obesity*
Prevalence
Leptin