Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Diabetes. Nov 15, 2026; 17(11): 126068
Published online Nov 15, 2026. doi: 10.4239/wjd.126068
Published online Nov 15, 2026. doi: 10.4239/wjd.126068
Beyond body mass index: Body composition in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes, clinical implications and perspectives
Georgia Sotiriou, Athanasios Christoforidis, 1st Department of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Ippokratio General Hospital, Thessaloniki 54642, Kentrikí Makedonía, Greece
Author contributions: Sotiriou G conducted the literature search, critically evaluated the available evidence and prepared the first draft of the manuscript; Christoforidis A conceived the idea for the review and supervised the study, contributed to the interpretation of the literature and critically revised the manuscript. Both authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
AI contribution statement: No AI tool was used for the preparation of this manuscript. The authors take full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Athanasios Christoforidis, MD, PhD, Professor, 1st Department of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Ippokratio General Hospital, 49 Konstantinoupoleos Street, Thessaloniki 54642, Kentrikí Makedonía, Greece. christoforidis@doctors.org.uk
Received: July 24, 2026
Revised: August 27, 2026
Accepted: October 20, 2026
Published online: November 15, 2026
Processing time: 105 Days and 2.8 Hours
Revised: August 27, 2026
Accepted: October 20, 2026
Published online: November 15, 2026
Processing time: 105 Days and 2.8 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Alterations in body composition are increasingly recognised as an important yet underappreciated aspect of type 1 diabetes in childhood and adolescence. Conventional anthropometric measures provide only a partial picture of metabolic health, whereas body composition assessment offers additional insight into adiposity, insulin sensitivity and cardiometabolic risk. This review summarises the current evidence, discusses the methodological challenges that limit widespread clinical implementation and highlights future research priorities. Standardised paediatric assessment protocols and robust reference values will be essential to embed body composition assessment into individualised diabetes care.