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Ghrelin and PYY levels in adolescents with severe obesity: effects of weight loss induced by long-term exercise training and modified food habits

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Abstract

This study investigated (a) changes in ghrelin and peptide YY (PYY) concentrations during a weight reduction programme and (b) baseline ghrelin and PYY levels as predictors of weight loss in 32 severely obese adolescents (BMI z score = 4.1). Subjects spent an academic year in an institution for childhood obesity. Fasting ghrelin and PYY, leptin, insulin levels and insulin resistance were measured at baseline (month 0) and during the programme (months 3, 6, 9). In addition, 15 normal-weight teenagers served as reference for the baseline assessments. At baseline, obese teenagers had lower ghrelin and PYY concentrations than normal-weight adolescents (P < 0.05). Moreover, they showed significantly higher leptin, insulin levels and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) (P < 0.0001). During the lifestyle modification, there was a significant decrease in body weight among obese teenagers, associated with an increase in ghrelin (apparent from month 6; P < 0.05), a decrease in leptin (from month 3; P < 0.05) and a decrease in insulin and HOMA (from month 3; P < 0.0001), without any significant change in PYY. Anthropometrical changes were correlated neither with baseline ghrelin levels nor with changes in ghrelin and PYY after the lifestyle modification. However, higher baseline PYY tended to correlate with greater anthropometrical changes (P < 0.1). In adolescents with severe obesity, a long-term combination of supervised aerobic exercises and a balanced diet led to weight reduction and increased ghrelin concentrations, without any change in PYY concentrations. Moreover, baseline PYY concentrations might be considered as predictors of weight loss.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the teenagers who participated in this study and their parents. We thank the teachers and the nurses of teenagers for their contribution to set up the study. We are also grateful to Dr. Simon-Rigaud for performing cardio-respiratory testing, the nurses of the Laboratory of Respiratory Exploration for taking the blood sample and the technical assistants of the Laboratory of Biochemical Endocrinology and Metabolism for the hormonal assays. We also thank Mary Crawford for linguistic assistance and Fiona Ecarnot for editorial assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université de Franche-Comté, 25000, Besançon, France

    Carine Gueugnon, Fabienne Mougin, Nhu Uyen Nguyen, Malika Bouhaddi & Gilles Dumoulin

  2. EA3920, Physiopathologie Cardiovasculaire et Prévention, IFR133, 25000, Besançon, France

    Carine Gueugnon, Fabienne Mougin, Nhu Uyen Nguyen, Malika Bouhaddi & Gilles Dumoulin

  3. UPFR des Sports, 31 chemin de l’Epitaphe, 25000, Besançon, France

    Carine Gueugnon & Fabienne Mougin

  4. CHU, Laboratoire de Biochimie Endocrinienne et Métabolique, 25000, Besançon, France

    Nhu Uyen Nguyen, Malika Bouhaddi & Gilles Dumoulin

  5. Service de soins de suite et de réadaptation La Beline, 39110, Salins les Bains, France

    Marie Nicolet-Guénat

Authors
  1. Carine Gueugnon
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  2. Fabienne Mougin
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  3. Nhu Uyen Nguyen
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  4. Malika Bouhaddi
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  5. Marie Nicolet-Guénat
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  6. Gilles Dumoulin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carine Gueugnon.

Additional information

Communicated by Klaas R Westerterp.

Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT01188642

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Gueugnon, C., Mougin, F., Nguyen, N.U. et al. Ghrelin and PYY levels in adolescents with severe obesity: effects of weight loss induced by long-term exercise training and modified food habits. Eur J Appl Physiol 112, 1797–1805 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-011-2154-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-011-2154-2

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