The UFO (Ultra Processed Foods in Obesity) Project
The childhood obesity prevalence has increased dramatically in the last decades, affecting more than 340 million children worldwide. This condition is the major risk factor for a set of metabolic abnormalities, also known as metabolic syndrome, a condition that reduce life expectancy by 5-20 years. Changes in the globa
| Condition(s) | Obesity, Morbid, Metabolic Syndrome |
|---|---|
| Status | Recruiting |
| Study type | Observational |
| Summary | The childhood obesity prevalence has increased dramatically in the last decades, affecting more than 340 million children worldwide. This condition is the major risk factor for a set of metabolic abnormalities, also known as metabolic syndrome, a condition that reduce life expectancy by 5-20 years. Changes in the global food system, and the increased consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), may have contributed to the increase in the prevalence of childhood obesity and related morbidities. The mechanisms by which UPFs might promote obesity and metabolic syndrome could be multiple and not completely identified. The Ultra-processed Food in Obesity (UFO) Project has been designed to investigate the potential associations between UPFs intake and MetS in pediatric subjects |
| Who can participate | Inclusion Criteria: * Caucasian ethnicity, both sexes, age ≥6 and ≤18 years, diagnosis of obesity (Group 1), diagnosis of obesity and Metabolic Syndrome (Group 2), and age- and sex-matched healthy controls (Group 3). Exclusion Criteria: * Non-Caucasian ethnicity; * Age \<6 or \>18 years; * Concomitant presence of chronic diseases, neoplasms, immunodeficiencies, chronic infections,autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, metabolic-genetic diseases, cystic fibrosis and other chronic lung diseases, cardiovascular/respiratory/gastrointestinal malformations, neuropsychiatric disorders, and neurological disorders; * Intake of antibiotics and/or pre/pro/synbiotics; * History of obesity surgery and onset of diarrhea or acute gastrointestinal illness during the 12 we |
| Ages | 6 Years to 18 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Lead sponsor | Federico II University |
| Locations | Naples, Italy |
| Start date | 2022-09-01 |
| NCT ID | NCT05554016 |
| Official listing | https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05554016 |