Cow's milk-based infant formula supplements in breastfed infants and primary prevention of cow's milk allergy: A commentary of the Committee on Nutrition of the French Society of Pediatrics.

The role of nutritional interventions for the primary prevention of cow's milk allergy (CMA) remains debated as well as the role of early introduction of allergenic foods, which is largely encouraged from the beginning of complementary feeding. Considering the introduction of cow's milk protein (CMP), current recommendations suggest avoidance of any cow's milk formula (CMF) supplements in breastfed infants in the maternity ward. By contrast, based on poor evidence, some authors support systematic supplements of CMP in breastfed children at risk of allergy from the first week of life. The Committee on Nutrition of the French Society of Pediatrics considers that such a proposal requires more clinical studies and mainly randomized and placebo-controlled clinical trials before becoming a recommendation.

Nutri-Score: Its Benefits and Limitations in Children's Feeding.

Reducing the burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is one of the top priorities of public health policies worldwide. One of the recognized means of achieving this objective is to improve the diet quality. The Nutri-Score (N-S) is a [five-color-A, B, C, D, E letters] front-of-pack labeling logo intended to help consumers quickly identify the healthier prepackaged foods within a food category. Available studies have shown that the N-S is an efficient tool to achieve this aim in terms of consumers' awareness, perception, understanding, and purchasing and that its use may help to reduce the prevalence of NCDs. The N-S is currently implemented on a voluntary basis in 7 European countries and a discussion is underway within the European Commission to achieve a harmonized mandatory label. However, no study on the putative impact of the N-S on children's dietary patterns and health is available. The N-S is not applicable to infants' and young children's formulas and to specific baby foods, the compositions of which are already laid down in European Union regulations. The N-S does not replace age-appropriate dietary guidelines. As children consume an increasing number of adult type and processed foods, the relevance of the N-S for children should be evaluated considering the children's high specific requirements, especially in younger children. This is especially necessary for fitting fat and iron requirements, whereas protein-rich foods should be better framed. Moreover, efforts should be made to inform on how to use the N-S and in education on healthy diets.

Adherence to Treatment Recommendations in Chronic Disease: What Is (Im)Possible? Expert Conclusions from the 30th ECOG Workshop 2021.

Obesity is a chronic disease, in which treatment outcomes are highly dependent on patient and family adherence to behavioural recommendations. The role of healthy eating, physical activity, medication adherence as well as adherence to pre- and post-bariatric surgery protocols are of utmost importance for long-term treatment outcomes. Even the best interventions are not likely to reach their maximum benefit without significant levels of adherence on the part of the individual and family. Traditionally, the annual meeting of the European Childhood Obesity Group (ECOG) includes an expert workshop addressing one specific topic within the field of childhood obesity. During the 30th annual meeting, hosted by the University of Pécs, Hungary, as a virtual meeting, "adherence to treatment recommendations in obesity as a chronic disease" was addressed. The discussions that developed during the workshop are summarized in the following article.

There Is a Clinical Need to Consider the Physical Activity: Sedentary Pattern in Children with Obesity - Position Paper of the European Childhood Obesity Group.

INTRODUCTION: While international prevention guidelines recently advocated, in addition to moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) guidelines, for a minimization of sedentary (SED) time, recommendations remain to be developed for youths with obesity. METHODS: A literature search was conducted in PubMed, the Cochrane Library, plus the reference lists of selected articles for relevant publications in English, including original papers, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses, with search terms "sedentary behaviors" or "sedentary time" or "screen time" AND "children" or "adolescents" AND "obesity" or "adiposity" or "cardiometabolic risk" or "cardiometabolic disease." The results were summarized as a narrative review and presented to the scientific board of the European Childhood Obesity Group (ECOG), who then discussed their implication in clinical practice and proposed the position outlined in this paper. RESULTS: SED and screen times are associated with adiposity and cardiometabolic risks, independently of youths' physical activity (PA) level. Besides considering MVPA and SED times as separate variables, comprehensive studies have questioned the impact of different patterns of MVPA and SED levels. Although lower body adiposity and better cardiometabolic health are achieved among those with desirable movement behavior patterns (i.e., more MVPA/less SED or active/not SED), youths with intermediate patterns (i.e., high MVPA/high SED and low MVPA/low SED, or active/SED and inactive/not SED) have been found to be associated with intermediate risks. CONCLUSION: There is a need to decrease SED behaviors irrespective of MVPA and to consider PA-SED patterns in youth with obesity. The ECOG encourages anti-obesity strategies targeting both PA and SED behaviors to support the shift from long periods of SED time, especially screen time, to daily routines incorporating bouts of PA. Stepwise or sequential approaches to movement behavior counseling might start with targeting SED at first to decrease cardiometabolic risks when implementing MVPA is not yet possible.

Pollutants in Breast Milk: A Public Health Perspective - A Commentary of the Nutrition Committee of the French Society of Pediatrics.

ABSTRACT: Pregnant and lactating women are continuously and ubiquitously exposed to numerous environmental pollutants from various sources including air, food, water, and occupational and household environments. The available evidence shows that pollutants are present in human milk and one of the emerging questions is what happens when the nursing infant is involuntarily exposed to contaminants through breastfeeding.The available literature does not currently provide a conclusive evidence of any consistent or clinically relevant health consequences in infants exposed to environment chemicals through breast milk. The available data strongly suggest that the benefits of breastfeeding outweigh the potential harmful effects of pollutants contained in human milk. The committee of nutrition of the French Pediatric Society strongly supports breastfeeding but also calls for public health actions to reduce the overall contamination level in the environment, to continue promoting breastfeeding, and to support research in this area.

Religious dietary rules and their potential nutritional and health consequences.

BACKGROUND: The vast majority of the world population declares affiliation to a religion, predominantly Christianity and Islam. Many religions have special dietary rules, which may be more or less strictly adhered to. METHODS: Religious food rules were collected from holy books and religious websites as well as their translation into dietary practices. The literature was searched for potential associations between these rules and potential nutritional consequences. RESULTS: Jewish, Islamic and Indian religions support prolonged breastfeeding. Religious avoidance of alcohol is probably beneficial to health. When strictly applied, a few rules may lead to nutritional inadequacies, mainly in populations living in unfavourable socio-economic or environmental conditions. In Jewish and Muslim observants, animal slaughtering procedures may increase the risk of iron deficiency. Jews may be at risk of excess sodium intake related to home-prepared foods. A vegan diet, as observed by some believers, often by drifting from original precepts, or by some Hindus or Buddhists, may result in vitamin B12, calcium, iron, zinc, selenium and n-3 fatty acids deficiencies. CONCLUSION: When implemented in accordance with the rules, most religious food precepts are not detrimental to health, as suggested by the fact that they have more or less been followed for millennia. Nevertheless, some practices may lead to nutritional inadequacies, such as iron, calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B12 deficiencies. Patients with low socio-economic status, children and women of childbearing age are of particular risk of such deficiencies. Being aware of them should help health professionals to take an individualized approach to decide whether to supplement or not.

Hydrolyzed Rice Protein-Based Formulas, a Vegetal Alternative in Cow's Milk Allergy.

Formulas adapted to infant feeding, although most of the time made from cow's milk proteins, can be made from hydrolyzed rice protein but they must be classified as "formulas for specific medical needs", according to European regulations. The nutritional quality of rice proteins is thus suitable to be used in infant formulas giving that it is supplemented by certain amino acids which can be lacking. Besides, hydrolysis is required to facilitate their water solubility and digestibility. Owing to a low allergenicity of rice and to the absence of the cross-allergy between milk proteins and rice proteins, these formulas are adapted to the diet of children with cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA), which explains their growing use in some countries. However, CMPA, an expanding disorder, has consequences for growth, bone mineralization, and often has an association with allergy to other foods, including cow's milk extensive hydrolysate, so that a surveillance of the adaption of hydrolyzed rice protein formulas (HRPF) to CMPA, the absence of unexpected side effects, and the appropriate response to its various health hazards seems mandatory. This paper analyses the health problem deriving from CMPA, the industrial development of hydrolyzed rice protein formulas, and the limited number of clinical studies, which confirms, at the moment, a good allergic tolerance and safety. The goal is to better advise heath care professionals on their use of HRPFs during CMPA.

Could sport be part of pediatric obesity prevention and treatment? Expert conclusions from the 28th European Childhood Obesity Group Congress.

•Traditional sports might be considered as part of obesity treatments.•Traditional sports are interesting strategies for the prevention of pediatric overweight and obesity.•A fully adapted medical checkup is mandatory before considering the use of traditional sports for the treatment of pediatric obesity.•Making adaptations in the practice of traditional sports (duration, rules, dimensions of the field) offers possible opportunities for obesity treatment among children and adolescents.

Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages in Paediatric Age: A Position Paper of the European Academy of Paediatrics and the European Childhood Obesity Group.

BACKGROUND: Health risks associated with the high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) include overweight or obesity and their complications such as diabetes, as well as oral and dental decay, among others. AIM: The aim of the present statement is to inform health care professionals, parents, care-givers, teachers and school head teachers, stakeholders and governing bodies about the risks associated with drinking SSBs in infants, children and adolescents. METHODS: We searched PubMed and the Cochrane databases for English language studies published from 2010 through October 1, 2018, for randomized clinical trials, meta-analyses, systematic reviews and observational studies (search terms are reported in eAppendix in the Supplement). We also manually searched the references of selected articles, reviews, meta-analyses and practice guidelines. RECOMMENDATIONS: Consumption of SSB by children and adolescents should be limited, and the consumption of water and other non-sweetened beverages should be promoted. Educational institutions such as nurseries, pre-schools and schools should offer unlimited access to drinking water, whereas the sale of SSBs should be banned.

Physical Activity and Physical Fitness in Pediatric Obesity: What are the First Steps for Clinicians? Expert Conclusion from the 2016 ECOG Workshop.

One of the main aims of the European Childhood Obesity Group (ECOG) is to assist healthcare workers in delivering evidence-based assessment and treatment of childhood obesity. Every year the ECOG Congress includes working groups whose objective is to highlight concerns faced by clinicians and practitioners who work in the field of pediatric obesity. This year, a working group was devoted to the assessment of physical activity and physical fitness in this population. The present commentary attempts to summarize the main themes identified by practitioners during these workshops in order to provide the basic and essential first steps required to address physical activity and fitness in children with obesity.

Muscle Strength and Fitness in Pediatric Obesity: a Systematic Review from the European Childhood Obesity Group.

The increasing prevalence of paediatric obesity and related metabolic complications has been mainly associated with lower aerobic fitness while less is known regarding potential musculoskeletal impairments. The purpose of the present systematic review was to report the evidence regarding muscular fitness in children and adolescents with obesity. A systematic article search was conducted between November 2014 and June 2015 using MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL psycINFO, SPORTDiscus and SocINDEX. Articles published in English and reporting results on muscle strength and muscular fitness in children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 years were eligible. Of 548 identified titles, 36 studies were included for analyses. While laboratory-based studies described higher absolute muscular fitness in youth with obesity compared with their lean peers, these differences are negated when corrected for body weight and lean mass, then supporting field-based investigations. All interventional studies reviewed led to improved muscular fitness in youth with obesity. Children and adolescents with obesity display impaired muscular fitness compared to healthy-weight peers, which seems mainly due to factors such as excessive body weight and increased inertia of the body. Our analysis also points out the lack of information regarding the role of age, maturation or sex in the current literature and reveals that routinely used field tests analysing overall daily muscular fitness in children with obesity provide satisfactory results when compared to laboratory-based data.

Seven novel deleterious LEPR mutations found in early-onset obesity: a ΔExon6-8 shared by subjects from Reunion Island, France, suggests a founder effect.

CONTEXT: Infrequent mutations have been reported in the leptin receptor (LEPR) gene in humans with morbid obesity and endocrine disorders. However LEPR mutations are rarely examined in large populations from different ethnicities in a given country. OBJECTIVE: We estimated the prevalence of LEPR mutations in French patients with severe obesity and evaluated mutated patients' phenotype. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: We sequenced the LEPR gene in 535 morbidly obese French participants. We conducted clinical investigations to determine whether individuals with a novel shared mutation display particular characteristics relative to obesity history, body composition, hormonal functions, and the outcome of bariatric surgery. RESULTS: We identified 12 patients with a novel LEPR mutation (p.C604G, p.L786P, p.H800_N831del, p.Y422H, p.T711NfsX18, p.535-1G>A, p.P166CfsX7). Six unrelated subjects were carriers of the p.P166CfsX7 mutation leading to deletion overlapping exons 6 to 8. All subjects originated from Reunion Island (France). Their clinical features (severe early-onset obesity, food impulsivity, and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism) did not differ from other new LEPR mutation carriers. Results concerning weight loss surgery were inconsistent in homozygous LEPR mutation carriers. Heterozygous LEPR mutation carriers exhibited variable severity of obesity and no endocrine abnormality. CONCLUSION: Among seven newly discovered LEPR mutations in this French obese population, we identified a LEPR frameshift mutation shared by six subjects from Reunion Island. This observation suggests a founder effect in this Indian Ocean island with high prevalence of obesity and supports a recommendation for systematic screening for this mutation in morbidly obese subjects in this population.

The assessment of eating behaviour in children who are obese: a psychological approach. A position paper from the European childhood obesity group.

OBJECTIVE: This paper introduces health professionals to the different psychological models thought to influence eating behaviour in the absence of hunger in children who are obese and to propose a method of assessing these behaviours in practice. METHODS: Clinical researchers from the European Childhood Obesity Group (ECOG) adopted an evidence-based approach to examine the literature concerning the assessment of eating behaviour in children who are obese. Studies published in English were filtered out of the medical and psychological literature from 1960 to the present, and the resulting bibliography was searched for relevant articles. Key themes from the current evidence were compiled and classified according to the underpinning psychological models. Based on the current evidence and the authors' combined clinical experience, a three-staged approach to assessment was agreed by consensus. RESULTS: Valid and reliable tools for assessing and monitoring each of the three identified models (Dietary Restraint Theory, Emotional Eating and the Diathesis-Stress Model) are suggested for use in clinical practice, and the ECOG three-staged approach to assessing eating behaviours in the absence of hunger is described. CONCLUSIONS: This paper presents practical guidance on how to assess eating behaviour in the absence of hunger in children who are clinically obese and suggests a focus for future research.

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677 C->T polymorphism: a link between birth weight and insulin resistance in obese adolescents.

The goal of this study is to determine whether cardiovascular risk and the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677 C->T polymorphism (MTHFR), an enzyme involved in folate metabolism and in epigenetics, are linked in morbidly obese non-diabetic adolescents. One-hundred and thirteen obese (BMI = 39.1 ± 6.4 kg/m(2)) adolescents aged 14.4 ± 1.5 years were investigated before entering a weight reduction program. Information on growth obtained from individual health records was available at birth (n = 107), 1 (n = 102), 2 (n = 106), 4 (n = 91) and 8 (n = 73) years of age. Fifty-nine subjects were heterozygote (CT, 52.2%) and 8 were homozygote for the mutation (TT, 7.0%). Birth weights were lower in TT (2.95 ± 0.48 kg, p = 0.004) than in CC (3.34 ± 0.43 kg) and CT (3.38 ± 0.50 kg) subjects, as well as birth lengths (CC: 0.50 ± 0.02 m, CT : 0.50 ± 0.02 m, TT: 0.47 ± 0.03 m, p = 0.01). These differences persisted until 1 year of age. Median and mean fasting glycaemia were similar. Insulin levels were higher in TT (median: 26.4 UI/mL) than in CC (median: 15.0 UI/mL) or CT (median: 16.0 UI/mL) (p = 0.017) subjects, as well as HOMA IR (p = 0.04). Body composition, blood pressure, plasma lipids, homocysteine and leptin concentrations were similar among the three genotypes in both boys and girls. The common 677 C->T mutation seems therefore to represent a link between altered early growth and enhanced degree of insulin resistance that occurs later in obese adolescents.

Bulimic behaviours and psychopathology in obese adolescents and in their parents.

OBJECTIVE: To help identify and advance the understanding of the potential mechanisms underlying the association between parents' and adolescents' psychological maladjustment in obesity, we evaluated bulimic behaviours and psychopathology in a clinical sample of obese adolescents and in their parents. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional cohort study including 115 severely obese, treatment-seeking adolescents aged 12-17 years (mean age: 14.2; mean body mass index z-score: 4.32), and their parents (115 mothers and 96 fathers). Adolescents filled out the Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh (BITE), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC). Their parents completed the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the BITE. A child psychiatrist filled out the Montgomery and Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the Brief Scale for Anxiety (BSA) for the adolescents. RESULTS: Obese adolescents demonstrated significant correlations between the severity of bulimic symptoms and the degree of emotional symptomatology, such as depression and anxiety, but not with the severity of obesity. Psychopathological maladjustment and bulimic symptoms in obese adolescents were significantly associated with the maternal psychopathological disturbances, especially anxiety and somatisation in mother. In fact, maternal psychopathology, not maternal bulimic symptoms, was the factor most strongly associated with bulimic behaviours in obese adolescents. DISCUSSION: These results highlight the importance of including an adolescent and parental psychiatric assessment (bulimic, depressive and anxiety symptoms), particularly maternal psychopathology in the treatment of severely obese adolescents.