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SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMMES

P3. Complications of Obesity and Childhood Obesity

Obesity is the fundamental risk factor and also an etiological factor of a series of pa-
Description
thologies, diseases or risk factors of considerable importance. Suffice it to say that
obesity is the number one factor for the onset of type II diabetes mellitus, dyslipidem-

ia, arterial hypertension, cardiovascular morbidity and stroke. Furthermore, though
most people are unaware of this fact, data generated on an international level and

especially by CIBERobn indicates with unquestionable epidemiological support that

obesity is the number one factor in the onset of some types of cancer, such as breast
cancer, endometrial cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer and a growing list of

other types of cancers.

Though it has been a rather well-hidden concept up until now, CIBERobn has contrib-

uted data indicating that obesity is a fundamental cause of the risk for degenerative
diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, and it is a fundamental factor in accelerating

aging processes, reducing the life expectancy by between two and seven years.

A crucial aspect in complications arising from obesity is when this problem affects
children. The aforementioned complications require temporal combination, i.e., degree

of obesity multiplied by time of exposure to the aggression. Obviously when dealing

with childhood obesity the time of exposure to the aggression will increase very signifi-
cantly, perhaps even causing unprecedented medical problems such as dyslipidemia,

arterial hypertension and type 2 diabetes in children and teenagers.

General To study diseases associated with obesity that cause significant morbi-mortality in
obese subjects and to establish clinical practice guidelines for handling these patients.
Objective
Conducting clinical and basic research on childhood obesity, including auxological,

body composition, biochemical, hormonal, metabolic, pubertal, reproductive function

and genetic aspects. Studies of serum proteome and adipose tissue, as well as basic 3
studies, analysing neuroendocrine metabolism control, at the start of and throughout 01
2
puberty, are fundamental for proper development.
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Special emphasis is dedicated to the association of obesity with neurodegeneration, EP
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cancer and aging.
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