The Mediterranean lifestyle can curb childhood obesity from the preschool stage.

The study, part of the MELI-POP project, analyzed children aged 3 to 6 years at risk of obesity in Zaragoza, Córdoba and Santiago de Compostela for a year.

The research, developed by the GENUD group of the University of Zaragoza, the IIS Aragón and the Obesity and Nutrition area of ​​CIBER (CIBEROBN), has observed improvements in the body composition of the participating girls

A clinical trial It has shown that an intervention based on Mediterranean diet and physical activity can improve body composition in children between 3 and 6 years of age at risk of obesityThe work, whose results have been published in the journal European Journal of Pediatrics, It has provided new evidence on the importance of early action in preventing childhood obesity..  

The research, framed within the MELI-POP project, It has been developed by the GENUD group of the University of Zaragoza, the Aragon Health Research Institute (IIS Aragon) and the Obesity and Nutrition area of ​​CIBER (CIBEROBN), and has analyzed 206 boys and girls between the ages of 3 and 6 de Zaragoza, Cordoba and Santiago de Compostelaa at risk of developing obesity due to family history. Of these, 170 have completed the 12-month follow-up. 

During this period, The intervention group has received monthly nutritional education, physical activity sessions twice a week, and foods characteristic of the Mediterranean diet, such as extra virgin olive oil and fish.. For its part, The control group has received general child health recommendations.without a specific program on diet or exercise. 

The results They have shown that, after one year of intervention, the girls included in the intervention group showed a significant reduction in body mass index (BMI)as well as improvements in various indicators related to body fat. In children, however, these effects have not been observed., a finding that has reinforced the need to further explore gender differences when designing preventive strategies against childhood obesity.  

In contrast, the study It has not detected significant changes in other cardiovascular risk factorssuch as blood pressure, lipid profile, or glucose and insulin levels. The researchers They have pointed out that this could be because the younger participants already had normal values ​​at the start of the trial..  

Beyond the specific results, MELI-POP She emphasized the value of early childhood as a crucial stage for establishing healthy habits.. Combining balanced diet and physical exercise It has been confirmed, as well as a promising avenue for reduce the risk of adiposity from the first years of lifeespecially in the most vulnerable child population.  

The studio It has been led by Alicia Larruy García, Dr. Pilar De Miguel Etayo and Professor Luis A. MorenoThe research, conducted by researchers from the GENUD group at the University of Zaragoza and the IIS Aragón, involved the participation of research centers in two other Spanish cities. This has been made possible thanks to the support of CIBEROBN and the Carlos III Health Institute.