Prevention of iron deficiency conditions in obese children

Background. Due to the progressive increase in childhood obesity, the effect of iron levels in the body on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism disorders and the relationship between these conditions are actively studied. It is proven that obesity in children is often associated with dysregulation of iron metabolism. The correlation between the body mass index and iron deficiency (ID) in children and adolescents was reported. Therefore, implementing preventive measures to correct the iron deficiency state (IDS), including the enrichment of the diet with foods containing easily digestible iron, is relevant and can be considered as one of the principles of an integrated approach to the treatment of obesity in childhood.

Aim. To evaluate the effectiveness of dietary supplements "Kidz Tasty iron" for IDS prevention in obese children.

Materials and methods. Thirty children aged 7–14 with exogenous constitutional obesity were followed up, 14 (47%) females and 16 (53%) males. All patients received a dietary supplement (DS), "Kidz Tasty iron," 10 mL once daily with meals according to the label for 1 month. The follow-up included data on signs and symptoms, medical history, evaluation of anthropometric data, evaluation of current nutrition status with the software "Optimal Nutrition 5.0", bioimpedance analysis of body composition, questionnaire on the assessment of ID symptoms and quality of life, general hematology and blood chemistry tests, validated for childhood.

Results. The diets of obese children in the study had low iron content (33.3% of patients), which justifies the need for additional iron supplementation. While taking the dietary supplement "Kidz Tasty Iron," there was a positive clinical trend: decreased symptoms related to ID and clinical signs of ID, improved overall well-being, and increased quality of life. The improvement of the body composition of the studied children was represented by preservation and an increase (20% of patients) in the active cell mass in the studied children. Laboratory tests of iron metabolism improved in 9 children (30%). Most children reported the good organoleptic properties of the product. Adherence to the DS was 96.7%.

Conclusion. The study results show the "Kidz Tasty iron" dietary supplement to be tolerable, safe, and effective, supporting its use in the complex therapy of children and adolescents with obesity, including for IDS prevention.