Iron profile in obese compared to normal children

Obese children are not only prone to various diseases, but due to the higher-caloric and lower nutritional values of their diet are also exposed to different micronutrient deficiencies. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the iron profile in obese compared to non-obese normal cases.
This Cross-sectional study was conducted on 200 children (5-15 years) during 2013-2014 in Isfahan. The case and control groups were consisted of 100 obese and none-obese children with no underlying diseases, respectively admitted to the pediatric endocrinology clinic. For all children serum iron, ferritin and total iron-binding capacity were measured. The data were analyzed using independent t-test and chi square tests.
Forty three and 24% of the children were suffering from iron deficiency in the case and control groups, respectively )P15µg/L.
Due to the increasing prevalence of iron deficiency among the obese children, screening for iron deficiency seems necessary in children and adolescents with high BMI.