Relation between visceral fat and disease risk in children and adolescents

This review examines whether the relations and metabolic parameters necessa ry for the development of syndrome X are present in children and whether th e metabolic complications of obesity in children are explained by excess in traabdominal adipose tissue (IAAT), or visceral fat. Despite the Limited us e of imaging techniques in research studies, an increasing number of studie s reported on IAAT and its relation to disease risk in children and adolesc ents. For this article we reviewed studies that documented the early accumu lation of IAAT in children and adolescents and the factors that contribute to variation in the degree of IAAT accumulation. We also reviewed studies t hat showed the clinical relevance of IAAT in children and adolescents throu gh significant relations with adverse health effects including dyslipidemia and glucose intolerance in obese and nonobese children and adolescents of different ethnic groups.