The prevalence of childhood obesity has increased dramatically during the past decades all over the world. The majority of obesity in adulthood has its origins in childhood which makes obesity a pediatric concern and the period when interventions should be done. Obesity is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in adult life and several adverse consequences in childhood like insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, polycystic ovarian syndrome, pulmonary and orthopedic disorders and psychological problems. Both genetic and environmental factors play a role in the development of obesity. Prevention of obesity is critical, since effective treatment of this disease is limited. Food management and increased physical activity must be encouraged, promoted, and prioritized to protect children.

Objective: Women with Turner syndrome (TS) have greater carotid artery intima-media thickness (cIMT) known to be a risk factor for atherosclerosis in adults. To determine whether there are risk factors for atherosclerosis in children with TS, we compared cIMT, anthropometric and metabolic parameters between children with TS and healthy controls.
Methods: Data of children with TS with XO karyotype (n=24, mean age: 11.6±3.6) were compared with those of healthy children (n=24, mean age: 10.5±3.6) with respect to anthropometric parameters, lipid levels, insulin resistance and cIMT which was measured by high resolution B-mode ultrasonography.
Results: Mean age and cIMT values were similar in the two groups of children. However in children with TS, fasting glucose (p=0.01), total cholesterol (p=0.006), triglyceride (p=0.04) levels and HDL-cholesterol (p=0.002) levels were higher than those of controls. In the TS group, cIMT correlated positively with LDL-cholesterol (r=0.435, p=0.034) and with systolic blood pressure (r=0.430, p=0.036) and negatively with HDL-cholesterol (r=-0.518, p=0.01). In stepwise regression analysis, HDL-cholesterol emerged as a significant predictor of cIMT (b= -0.518, p=0.01) contributing to 26.8 % of its variability.
Conclusion: The systolic blood pressure and dyslipidaemia were shown to be risk factors for atherosclerosis in children with TS.

Background: Cryptorchidism is the most common congenital defect of the male urogenital system. It may be an important cause for male infertility. The data about its prevalence in Southeastern European countries and especially for the Balkan region are still incomplete.
Objective: The aim of the present study was to establish the prevalence of the abnormality in the Bulgarian population living in the different areas of the country.
Methods: In a population–based cross-sectional study in Bulgaria 6200 Caucasian boys (aged under 1 year to 19 years) from five regions of the country were included. One physician examined all children in order to reduce the inter-observer error.
Results: The prevalence of cryptorchidism was 1.52% for the total group. It was 3.2% for boys under one year of age, 2.1% for those between one and ten years and dropped significantly in older boys (0.6%). No regional or seasonal trends were established.
Conclusions: Our study suggests a relatively higher prevalence of cryptorchidism in Bulgaria for children younger than one year of age, while the overall prevalence is comparable to those reported for other countries. The prevalence of cryptorchidism did not differ significantly from the prevalence reported thirty years ago.

Background and objectives: The prevalence of childhood obesity has been dramaticallyincreasing worldwide. This study was performed to examine the prevalence and etiological factors of obesity in children aged 6-12 years and to investigate the relative contribution of exogenous factors with respect to sociodemographic data.
Methods: A total of 5368 children aged 6-12 years in eight urban elementary schools located in Bursa, the fourth largest city of Turkey, were included in this cross-sectional study. A dietary record for three days and a questionnaire for the assessment of socio-economic and demographic parameters were completed by the parents at home. The height and weight of the children were measured and relative weight and body mass index (BMI) were calculated.
Results: The prevalence of overweight, obesity and severe obesity according to BMI were 12.4%, 7.8% and 2.2%, respectively. The female/male ratio among obese children was 1.24. Eighty percent of obese children had one or both parents obese. Age, gender, presence of obesity in parents, higher educational level of the parents, consumption of soft beverages such as soda and juice, physical activity level and higher income of the family were found as the contributing factors to obesity.
Conclusion: The prevalence of obesity is increasing in Turkey in parallel to the trend in many countries. There are consistent and predictable sociodemographic parameters that are associated with or may impose a risk factor for obesity. Identification of these risk factors will provide areas to target in the prevention and management of this common problem.

Aim: To determine the prevalence of vitamin D hypovitaminosis among obese and overweight schoolchildren. Design: A cross-sectional population based sample.
Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 301 students (177 girls and 124 boys) aged 11-19 years were selected by multistage stratified sampling design. Subjects were classified according to their body mass index as obese, overweight and normal. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD), intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were measured in late winter months. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as a 25-OHD <10 ng/ml, insufficiency as 25-OHD 10 to 20 ng/ml, and normal vitamin D level as >20 ng/ml.
Results: The prevalence of hypovitaminosis D was found as 65% in all students. Vitamin D deficiency was found in 12% and insufficiency in 53% of all students. Vitamin D deficiency in female students was about two times more common than in males. In obese and overweight schoolchildren with hypovitaminosis D, serum 25-OHD levels decreased as BMI increased. There were no correlations between serum 25-OHD and ALP and iPTH levels.
Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are common in obese and overweight schoolchildren, especially in girls. Obesity could be a risk factor in terms of hypovitaminosis D in adolescents. Vitamin D supplementation should be administered particularly to adolescent girls.

Lipoid proteinosis (LP) is a rare disorder and it can affect every organ in the body. The clinical manifestations of LP may vary considerably between affected individuals. Short stature is reported in patients with LP however the underlying etiology is not clear. Short stature may be due to endocrine dysfunction caused by deposition of hyaline-like material in endocrine glands. We investigated a 13 year old patient with LP (507 delT mutation) who had severe short stature. He had hoarseness since the age of one year, followed by characteristic skin lesions for LP and short stature. There was no pathology with respect to endocrinological investigations in our patient including growth hormone-IGF axis. Our results show that short stature in LP can not be explained by endocrinological abnormalities. Short stature may be an intrinsic component of the syndrome.