Low Grade Inflammation in Childhood Obesity : an Independent Risk Factor for Endothelial Dysfunction

Eligible candidates will be recruited within the children with overweight and obesity having a metabolic risk evaluation before treatment in the period 2006 and 2010 at the pediatric clinic of the UZ Brussel In total 60 participants will be investigated. Firstly, 30 participating patients with initially elevated hsCRP will be selected at random ( following the date of their initial investigation) and afterwards matched for age, BMI z-score, and blood pressure with the same number of patients without initially elevated hCRP values Data will be collected as follows: * questionnaires * clinical examination/ anthropometry * blood sample (hsCRP) * peripheral arterial tonometry (endoPAT)