Investigation of Trace Element and Toxic Metal Blood Levels in Obese Children

Abstract

Dear Editor, Childhood obesity has become a major public health concern with increasing prevalence worldwide. Recent studies increasingly focus on the association between childhood obesity and environmental pollutants, exploring potential contributory pathways and mechanisms underlying this relationship. In a study published in the Turkish Archives of Pediatrics in 2024, we conducted an analysis of 50 obese children (26 girls, 24 boys) and a control group of 50 non-obese children (23 girls, 27 boys). Our findings indicated a significant reduction in levels of iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn), and cobalt (Co) among obese children, alongside a notable elevation in cop- per (Cu), lead (Pb), and manganese (Mn) levels.1 The study’s limitation is that while body weights were comparable across both groups, trace element blood levels did not follow a normal distribution, which should be considered in future research. Subsequent studies are encouraged to address weight discrepancies between obese and control groups and incorporate analyses that account for non-normally distributed data.