Effect of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Combined with Dietary Intervention on Childhood Obesity and Insulin Resistance

Background: Obesity is one of the multifactorial diseases associated with numerous cardiometabolic comorbidity conditions and insulin resistance (IR). Modifying the lifestyle, like following healthy nutrition in addition to physical activity, is considered one of the main strategies for obesity management. Besides various treatment options, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) supplementation is suggested as a potential solution to alleviate several obesity-related issues. The work aimed: to assess the effects of omega-3 PUFAs in combination with dietary intervention on BMI and IR in children with obesity. Subjects and Methods: A prospective randomized controlled longitudinal study was carried out on sixty children & adolescents suffering from obesity with a BMI of ≥95th percentile for sex and age. They were categorized into 2 groups (thirty children in each group): group A received oral omega-3 PUFAs in addition to a dietary intervention for six months, and group B received only a dietary intervention during the same period. Another thirty healthy children & adolescents having BMI ranging from 5th to 85th percentile for sex and age were matched with the obese children groups for sex and age and served as controls. All participants included in the study underwent a history taking, thorough clinical assessment, anthropometric measurement, and various investigations such as ALT, AST, CRP, lipid profile, HOMA-IR, serum adiponectin, serum leptin, and adiponectin-leptin ratio (ALR). Results: After the therapeutic interventions, group A (omega-3-supplemented) showed significant improvement in waist circumference, serum triglycerides, HDL-C, inflammatory adipokines (that included leptin, adiponectin, and ALR) as well as markers for insulin sensitivity compared to group B. Conclusion: Combining omega-3 PUFAs with dietary intervention improved various obesity-related parameters, enhancing insulin sensitivity markers and reducing inflammatory adipokines in obese children and adolescents.