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PURPOSE: We studied the effects of a physical activity and dietary intervention on plasma lipids in a general population of children. We also investigated how lifestyle changes contributed to the intervention effects.METHODS: We carried out a 2-year controlled, non-randomized lifestyle intervention study among 504 mainly prepubertal children aged 6-9 years at baseline. We assigned 306 children to the intervention group and 198 children to the control group. We assessed plasma concentrations of total, LDL, HDL, and VLDL cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL triglycerides, and VLDL triglycerides. We evaluated the consumption of foods using 4-day food records and physical activity using a movement and heart rate sensor. We analyzed data using linear mixed-effect models adjusted for age at baseline, sex, and pubertal stage at both time points. Furthermore, specific lifestyle variables were entered in these models.RESULTS: Plasma LDL cholesterol decreased in the intervention group but did not change in the control group ( - 0.05 vs. 0.00 mmol/L, regression coefficient (β) = - 0.0385, p = 0.040 for group*time interaction). This effect was mainly explained by the changes in the consumption of high-fat vegetable oil-based spreads (β = - 0.0203, + 47% change in β) and butter-based spreads (β = - 0.0294, + 30% change in β), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (β = - 0.0268, + 30% change in β), light physical activity (β = - 0.0274, + 29% change in β) and sedentary time (β = - 0.0270, + 30% change in β). The intervention had no effect on other plasma lipids.CONCLUSION: Lifestyle intervention resulted a small decrease in plasma LDL cholesterol concentration in children. The effect was explained by changes in quality and quantity of dietary fat and physical activity.CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY NUMBER: NCT01803776, ClinicalTrials.gov.

BACKGROUND: The effect of weight loss on different plasma lipid subclasses at the molecular level is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine whether a diet-induced weight reduction result in changes in the extended plasma lipid profiles (lipidome) in subjects with features of metabolic syndrome in a 33-week intervention. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Plasma samples of 9 subjects in the weight reduction group and 10 subjects in the control group were analyzed using mass spectrometry based lipidomic and fatty acid analyses. Body weight decreased in the weight reduction group by 7.8+/-2.9% (p<0.01). Most of the serum triacylglycerols and phosphatidylcholines were reduced. The decrease in triacylglycerols affected predominantly the saturated short chain fatty acids. This decrease of saturated short chain fatty acid containing triacylglycerols correlated with the increase of insulin sensitivity. However, levels of several longer chain fatty acids, including arachidonic and docosahexanoic acid, were not affected by weight loss. Levels of other lipids known to be associated with obesity such as sphingolipids and lysophosphatidylcholines were not altered by weight reduction. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Diet-induced weight loss caused significant changes in global lipid profiles in subjects with abnormal glucose metabolism. The observed changes may affect insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism in these subjects. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00621205.