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Review
. 2023 Nov 9;15(22):4736.
doi: 10.3390/nu15224736.

Food Intake and Sleep Disorders in Children and Adolescents with Obesity

Valeria Calcaterra  1   2 , Virginia Rossi  2 , Veronica Maria Tagi  2 , Paola Baldassarre  2 , Roberta Grazi  2 , Silvia Taranto  2 , Gianvincenzo Zuccotti  2   3
Affiliations
Review

Food Intake and Sleep Disorders in Children and Adolescents with Obesity

Valeria Calcaterra et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Over the last few decades, numerous scientific studies have investigated the possible association between sleep duration and adiposity during childhood, since it has been reported that sleep deprivation causes a related increase in caloric intake. Even though the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms are still under study and not completely known, the effect of dietetic habits and nutrient intake on sleep quality and patterns has been reported. The aim of this study is to explore the intricate interplay between food intake/diet patterns and pediatric sleep disturbances in children and adolescents with obesity, emphasizing the importance of not underestimating this aspect in the prevention and treatment of this complex disease. Recent evidence supports a high correlation between specific diet patterns and foods with sleep disturbances in children at all ages. Diets rich in fiber, fruit, vegetables, and anti-inflammatory nutrients and low in saturated fats seem to promote better sleep quality. Sleep disturbances are, in turn, risk factors for the development of obesity. Therefore, food strategies should be applied to counteract this harmful process. Unraveling the complex links between dietary habits, sleep patterns, and obesity is essential for developing effective strategies to combat this critical public health issue.

Keywords: adolescents; children; diet; food intake; pediatric obesity; sleep disorders.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart showing the process of paper selection and exclusion.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The interplay between sleep and pediatric obesity: investigating the connecting factors (created on https://app.biorender.com accessed on 30 September 2023).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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