title: [Relationship of serum cortisol and metabolic syndrome components, dietary intakes and anxiety disorder in children at 8 to 12 years of age with obesity].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity is a disorder associated to an inappropriate food intake and psychological problems predisposing to complications such as metabolic syndrome (MS), which has been related to chronic stress due to hypercortisolism-mediated impairments of the hypothalamushypophysis-adrenal (HHA) axis activity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the relationship between serum cortisol and MS components, the food intake, and anxiety disorder in 8-12 years old obese children.
  
  
  METHODS
  78 children, 40 with obesity and 38 with appropriate weight. The following serum and clinical indicators were assessed: cortisol, glucose, HDL-cholesterol (c-HDL) and triglycerides; anthropometrical and clinical indicators: weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and blood pressure (BP); food intake: deficient or excessive consumption and intake of energy and nutrients; psychological indicator: anxiety.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There exists a significant relationship between cortisol level and the number of MS components in obese children (p < 0.05). When assessing the cortisol level against each one of these components, there were no significant differences. When analyzing the total sample, the cortisol level showed a negative relationship with c-HDL (r = -0.228, p = 0.045). We found a significant relationship between the cortisol level and excessive intake of foods of animal origin and sugars and with the subsets of fats and sugars (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in energy or nutrients intake or anxiety in obese children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There exists a relationship between the cortisol level and the number of MS components as well as with excessive intake of foods of animal origin, sugars, and fats in obese children.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Salud Pública y Nutrición, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México. diana.t.villarreal@gmail.com
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Treviño Villarreal
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: López Guevara
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Ramírez López
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tijerina Sáenz
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002241:Carbohydrates; D002648:Child; D004032:Diet; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology*; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D002241:Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D006854:Hydrocortisone