Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Paper
  • Published:

Importance of plasma leptin in predicting future weight gain in obese children: a two-and-a-half-year longitudinal study

International Journal of Obesity volume 26, pages 942–946 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether relatively low leptin levels predict changes in adiposity in prepubertal and pubertal obese children.

Research Methods and Procedures: In a biracial cohort of 68 obese children (33 male and 35 female; 46 Caucasians and 22 African-Americans, age range 7–18 y), we measured at baseline fasting insulin and leptin levels, height and weight and calculated body mass index (kg/m2) and expressed body mass index as (BMI) Z-score. After a 2.5-y follow-up, anthropometric measurements were repeated and changes in weight gain were calculated as changes in BMI Z-score.

Results: At baseline obese preadolescent boys and girls had similar age and BMI Z-score, fasting insulin and leptin levels. After an average follow-up of 2.5 y, mean weight change calculated by changes in BMI Z-score from baseline was similar in both groups. In obese adolescent boys and girls at baseline, no significant gender differences were observed for BMI Z-score and insulin levels. In contrast, plasma leptin levels were significantly higher in obese girls compared with obese adolescent boys. At follow-up, there was no significant difference in change in BMI Z-score between obese boys and girls. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that high basal leptin levels were positively associated with greater changes in BMI Z-score only in girls (r2=0.18, P<0.02), after adjusting for basal BMI Z-score, Tanner stage, years of follow-up and basal insulin. High basal leptin levels in girls explained 18% of the weight gain.

Conclusion: High leptin levels are associated with excessive future weight gain only in girls.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Schwartz MW, Brunzell JD . Regulation of body adiposity and the problem of obesity Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 1997 17: 233–238.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Maffei M, Stoffel M, Barone M, Moon B, Dammerman M, Ravussin E, Bogardus C, Ludwig DS, Flier JS, Talley M, Auerbach S, Friedman JM . Absence of mutations in the human OB gene in obese/diabetic subjects Diabetes 1996 45: 679–682.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Considine RV, Sinha MK, Heiman ML, Kriauciunas A, Stephens TW, Nyce MR, Ohannesian JP, Marco CC, McKee LJ, Bauer TL, Caro JF . Serum immunoreactive-leptin concentrations in normal-weight and obese humans New Engl J Med 1995 334: 292–295.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Ravussin E, Pratley RE, Maffei M, Wang H, Friedman J, Bennett PH, Bogardus C . Relatively low plasma leptin concentrations precede weight gain in Pima Indians Nature Med 1997 3: 238–240.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Chessler SD, Fujimoto WY, Shofer JB, Byoko EJ, Weigle DS . Increased plasma leptin levels are associated with fat accumulation in Japanese-Americans Diabetes 1998 47: 239–243.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Kuczmarski RJ, Ogden CL, Grummer-Strawn LM, Flegal K et al. CDC Growth Charts: United States number 34 30 May 2000.

  7. Caprio S, Bronson M, Sherwin RS, Rife F, Tamborlane WV . Co-existence of severe insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia in preadolescent obese children Diabetologia 1996 39: 1498.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Caprio S, Tamborlane WV, Silver D, Robinson C, Leibel R, McCarthy S, Grozman A, Belous A, Maggs D, Sherwin RS . Hyperleptinemia: an early sign of juvenile obesity: relations to body fat depots and insulin concentration Am J Physiol 1996 271: E626–E630.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Lonnquist F, Nordfors L, Jansson M, Thorne A, Schalling M, Arner P . Leptin secretion from adipose tissue in women. Relationship to plasma levels and gene expression J Clin Invest 1997 99: 2398–2404.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Masuzaki H, Ogawa Y, Isse N, Okazaki T, Shigemoto M, Mori K, Tamura N, Hosoda K, Yoshimasa Y, Jingami H, Kawada T, Nakao K . Human obese gene expression: adipocyte-specific expression and regional differences in the adipose tissue Diabetes 1995 44: 855–858.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Havel P, Karakas-Kasim S, Mueller W, Johnson PR, Gingerich RL, Stern JS . Relationship of plasma leptin to plasma insulin and adiposity in normal weight and overweight women: effects of dietary fat content and sustained weight loss J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1996 81: 4406–4413.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Boden G, Chen X, Kolacynski JW, Polanski M . Effects of prolonged hyperinsulinemia on serum leptin in normal human subjects J Clin Invest 1997 100: 1103–1107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Wabitsch M, Jensen PB, Blum WF, Christoffersen LT, Englaro P, Heiner E et al. Insulin and cortisol promote leptin production in cultured human fat cells Diabetes 1996 45: 1435–1438.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Slieker LJ, Sloop KW, Surface PL, Kriavciunas A, LaQuier F, Manetta J et al. Regulation of expression of ob mRNA and protein by glucocorticoids and cAMP J Biol Chem 1996 271: 5301–5304.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Horlick MB, Rosenbaum M, Nicolson M, Levine LS, Fedun B, Wang J, Pierson RN, Leibel RL . Effect of puberty on the relationship between circulating leptin and body composition J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2000 85: 2509–2518.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Wabitsch M, Blum W, Muche R et al. Contribution of androgens to the gender difference in leptin production in obese children and adolescents J Clin Invest 1997 100: 808–813.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Van der Merwe MT, Panz VR, Crowther NJ, Schlaphoff GP, Gray IP, Froguel P, Joffe BI, Lonnroth PN . Free fatty acids and insulin levels—relationship to leptin levels and body composition in various patient groups from South Africa Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1999 23: 909–917.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Garcia-Mayor R, Andrade AM, Rios M, Lage M, Pieguez C, Casanueva F . Serum leptin levels in normal children: relationship to age, gender, body mass index, pituitary–gonadal hormones, and pubertal stage J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1997 82: 2849–2855.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Shimizu H, Simomura Y, Nakanishi Y, Futawatari T et al. Estrogen increases in vivo leptin production in rats and human subjects J Endocrinol 1997 154: 285–292.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Byrnes SE, Baur LA, Bermingham M, Brock K, Steinbeck K . Leptin and total cholesterol as predictors of weight gain in prepubertal children Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1999 23: 146–150.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Ahmed ML, Ong KL, Morrell DJ, Cox L et al. Longitudinal study of leptin concentrations during puberty: sex differences and relationship to changes in body composition J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1999 84: 899–905.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Dietz WH, Robinson RN . Use of the body mass index as a measure of overweight in children and adolescents J Pediatr 1998 132: 191–193.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Odeleye OE, deCourten MP, Pettit DJ, Ravussin E . Fasting hyperinsulinemia is a predictor of increased body weight gain and obesity in Pima Indian children Diabetes 1997 46: 1341–1345.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Johnson MS, Figueroa-Colon R, Huang TTK, Dwyer JH, Goran MI . Longitudinal changes in body fat in African American and Caucasian children: influence of fasting insulin and insulin sensitivity J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2001 86: 3182–3187.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Swinburn BA, Nyomba BL, Saad MF et al. Insulin resistance is associated with lower rates of weight gain in Pima Indians J Clin Invest 1991 88: 168–173.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (RO1 HD 28016, S Caprio, MO1 RR 00125, MO 1 RR 06022).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics and The Children's General Clinical Research Center and the Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

    M Savoye, J Dziura, J Castle, L DiPietro, WV Tamborlane & S Caprio

Authors
  1. M Savoye
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J Dziura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J Castle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. L DiPietro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. WV Tamborlane
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. S Caprio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S Caprio.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Savoye, M., Dziura, J., Castle, J. et al. Importance of plasma leptin in predicting future weight gain in obese children: a two-and-a-half-year longitudinal study. Int J Obes 26, 942–946 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0802018

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0802018

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links