Obesity and insulin resistance trigger the early onset of adolescent-like sexually dimorphic metabotypes in middle childhood
Authors' conclusion
Altogether, we hypothesize that premature obesity-driven hormonal development may induce an adolescent-like metabotype in mid-aged children (i.e., protective estrogenic profile in girls vs. deleterious androgenic profile in boys), which could be responsible for sex differences in related metabolic complications.
Study context
- Population
- Prepubertal children (6–12 years, Tanner I) of both sexes
- Exposure
- Prepubertal children with obesity and insulin resistance vs obesity without insulin resistance vs healthy controls, by sex
- Outcome
- Sex differences in metabolic profile
Methodological detailssex-stratified analyses, metabolomics
- Sex-stratified analyses
- Metabolomics
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Boys exhibited a more unfavorable metabolic profile, with exacerbated insulin resistance and raised inflammatory markers vs girls
- Sexually dimorphic increase of steroid levels in children with obesity vs controls (androgens in boys; also estrogens and progestogens in girls)
- Male-specific alterations in metabolites linked to obesity and insulin resistance (carbohydrate, lipid and protein metabolism, oxidative stress, phospholipid turnover)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Obesity and insulin resistance trigger the early onset of adolescent-like sexually dimorphic metabotypes in middle childhood. Cardiovasc Diabetol. Published 28 April 2026. doi:10.
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