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In the News, Spring 2024: Overweight Young People at Risk for Iron Deficiency

A meta-analysis published in BMJ Global Health found that overnutrition (defined in this study as overweight and obesity) is a risk factor for iron deficiency in children and young adults.
Nutritional scientists at the University of Leeds examined medical studies from 44 countries and determined that both overnourished and undernourished young people below the age of 25 were at increased risk for iron deficiency, with an inverted U-shaped relationship observed between iron status and body weight. In contrast, risk for zinc and vitamin A deficiencies was only elevated in the undernourished.
Excess body fat is associated with low-grade inflammation, and it has been proposed that elevated risk of iron deficiency in the overweight and obese is caused by inflammation-mediated increases in hepcidin, a peptide hormone involved in the regulation of iron absorption.
It is increasingly being recognized that nutrient deficiencies can occur in overweight and obese people, who often have a nutrient-poor but energy-dense diet. In high-income countries, this is often associated with the consumption of ultra-processed foods laden with empty calories.
SOURCES:
Obese and overweight children at risk of iron deficiency. University of Leeds, April 10, 2024. leeds.ac.uk/main-index/news/article/5548/obese-and-overweight-children-at-risk-of-iron-deficiency.
Tan X, Tan PY, Gong YY, et al. Overnutrition is a risk factor for iron, but not for zinc or vitamin A deficiency in children and young people: a systemic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Global Health. 2024; 9:e015135.
Published in the Journal of Health and Healing™
Spring 2024 | Volume 48, Number 1
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