New Delhi: Published on Wednesday, a study suggests that childhood obesity could be a significant factor in developing immune-mediated skin disorders (IMSDs), including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and alopecia areata.
However, there is hope—a study of 2,161,900 Korean youngsters from 2009 to 2020 suggests that maintaining a healthy weight could prevent specific skin conditions.
The study aimed to determine whether there is a correlation between the development of IMSDs and obesity or dynamic changes in body weight.
The quality of life of children with IMSDs and their families is negatively impacted, with negative effects on emotional, physical, social, and functional well-being.
There are still many challenges in managing children with IMSDs because there are few clinical studies and few therapy options, even though several biologics have shown promise in the treatment of pediatric psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.
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Lockdowns across countries and the consequences of the pandemic have made childhood obesity even more of a public health problem. The rate of childhood obesity has risen dramatically in recent years.
It is unclear what the precise mechanisms are by which obesity contributes to the development of chronic inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and skin malignancies.
“Previously, many studies have looked at the link between childhood obesity and IMSDs. However, most of these studies only looked at data from one point in time or compared groups with and without the condition (i.e., obesity or overweight), and they had small sample sizes. Very few studies have followed children over a long period to see how their body weight affects the development of these skin conditions,” said Seong Rae Kim, Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, in Korea.
“This means we still don’t know for sure whether being obese or overweight causes atopic dermatitis and psoriasis or if the opposite is true. Also, no studies have yet looked at the effect of body weight on alopecia areata or how dynamic changes in a child’s weight affect the development of common IMSDs,” Kim added.
The research, which was published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, highlights how crucial it is to maintain a healthy weight and encourage good eating habits in order to prevent atopic dermatitis in obese children, especially those who are not yet of school-going age.
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–IANS
