Methods:

A total of 876 adolescents participating in the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence-Cross Sectional Study were included in the study sample.

Results:

Mean CRP values (standard error; se) were significantly higher in overweight/obese adolescents (1.7±0.3 and 1.4±0.3 mg/l in boys and girls, respectively) than in thin/normal-weight adolescents (1.1±0.2 and 1.0±0.1 mg/l in boys and girls, respectively)(P< 0.05). For boys, mean SF values (se) were significantly higher in overweight/obese adolescents (46.9±2.7 μg/l) than in thin/normal-weight adolescents (35.7±1.7 μg/l)(P< 0.001), whereas median sTfR values did not differ among BMI categories for both boys and girls. Multilevel regression analyses showed that BMI z-score and FM were significantly related to CRP and AGP (P< 0.05). Dietary variables did not differ significantly among BMI categories, except for the intake of vegetable proteins, which, for boys, was higher in thin/normal-weight adolescents than in overweight/obese adolescents (P< 0.05).

Conclusions:

The adiposity of the European adolescents was sufficient to cause chronic inflammation but not sufficient to impair iron status and cause iron deficiency.