Researchers from the Granada Biosanitary Research Institute (ibs.GRANADA) and the University od Granada have revealed positive and negative associations between exposure to a combination of different metals and overweight and obesity in children. The work highlights that some metals, such as lead, cadmium and arsenic, are associated with a higher risk of overweight and obesity, while others, such as molybdenum, chromium and cobalt, could have a protective effect. These findings open new perspectives in understanding how environmental chemical pollutants affect children’s health.
The study analyses how exposure to a combination of different metals can influence childhood overweight and obesity, public health problems that increasingly affect more children around the world and which are in turn related to the long-term development of prevalent chronic diseases. This study analysed how exposure to these metals, which can occur through food, water or air, influences the development of these conditions.
The research, carried out by the ibs.GRANADA in collaboration with the University of Granada, primary care centres and schools in the province, included children recruited between January 2020 and January 2022. The data were obtained through structured questionnaires that collected information on sociodemographic variables, lifestyle habits, physical activity and dietary intake. In addition, urine samples were collected where the concentrations of different metals were analysed. Currently, this group is carrying out further research on the possible implications of exposure to other families of environmental chemical pollutants on overweight and obesity in the child population.
The results underscore the importance of reducing exposure to toxic metals in childhood and highlight the need for public policies that promote healthier environments to prevent obesity-related diseases from an early age.
This study is a step forward in the investigation of environmental factors that contribute to overweight and obesity, and reinforces the commitment of ibs.GRANADA to children’s health and the prevention of chronic diseases.
About the groups
The Granada Biosanitary Research Institute (ibs.GRANADA) is made up of different research groups. The E14-Preventive Medicine and Public Health group has participated in this research, focusing on the epidemiology and prevention of the main public health problems in the Spanish population, such as cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, as well as the epidemiology of traffic injuries. Its research, oriented towards prevention and health promotion, seeks to understand the epidemiology of these health problems and the associated factors, and also offers methodological support in the design and analysis of data to other groups and institutions. On the other hand, the E15-EXPODIET group investigates dietary exposure to endocrine disruptors and their impact on metabolic diseases such as obesity, studying their effects on the microbiota and the identification of genes related to hormone-dependent diseases.
Bibliographic reference:
Salcedo-Bellido, I., Castillo Bueno, H., Olmedo, P., Gil, F., Ocaña-Peinado, FM, Rodrigo, L., & Rivas, A. (2024). Metal (loid) Exposure and Overweight and Obesity in 6–12-Year-Old Spanish Children. In Exposure and Health. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-024-00638-4
