Age-related changes in leptin and adiponectin levels remain controversial, being affected by inconsistent normalisation for adiposity and body fat distribution in the literature. In a cross-sectional study on 210 Caucasians (127 women, eighty-three men, 18–78 years, BMI 16·8–46·8 kg/m2), we investigated the effect of age on adipokine levels independent of fat mass (FM measured by densitometry), visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue volumes (VAT and SAT assessed by whole-body MRI). Adiponectin levels increased with age in both sexes, whereas leptin levels decreased with age in women only. There was an age-related increase in VAT (as a percentage of total adipose tissue, VAT%TAT), associated with a decrease in SATlegs%TAT. Adiposity was the main predictor of leptin levels, with 75·1 % of the variance explained by %FM in women and 76·6 % in men. Independent of adiposity, age had a minor contribution to the variance in leptin levels (5·2 % in women only). The variance in adiponectin levels explained by age was 14·1 % in women and 5·1 % in men. In addition, independent and inverse contributions to the variance in adiponectin levels were found for truncal SAT (explaining additional 3·0 % in women and 9·1 % in men) and VAT%TAT (explaining additional 13·0 % in men). In conclusion, age-related changes in leptin and adiponectin levels are opposite to each other and partly independent of adiposity and body fat distribution. Normalisation for adiposity but not for body fat distribution is required for leptin. Adiponectin levels are adversely affected by subcutaneous and visceral trunk fat.

As stress is hypothesised to influence dietary behaviour, the relationship between perceived stress and diet quality in European adolescents was investigated. Within the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence study, adolescents (n 704, aged 12–17 years) from schools in five European cities (Ghent, Stockholm, Zaragoza, Athens and Vienna) completed a 2 d 24 h dietary recall assessment and an Adolescent Stress Questionnaire. Measurements and information were taken on height, weight, pubertal stage, parental education level, the level of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sleep duration. The Diet Quality Index for Adolescents (DQI-A) was calculated from the dietary data, which comprised three components reflecting dietary diversity, quality and equilibrium. Hierarchical linear models were performed to investigate the relationship between the adolescents' level of perceived stress and the DQI-A and its components, adjusting for relevant covariates (age, BMI z-score, pubertal stage and parental education). These models were additionally adjusted for MVPA or sleep duration. In both boys and girls, perceived stress was a significant independent negative predictor for their overall DQI-A. This inverse relationship was observed for all dietary components, except for dietary diversity in boys, and it was unaltered when additionally adjusted for MVPA or sleep duration. The observed inverse relationship between stress and diet quality within these European adolescents supports the hypothesis that stress influences dietary behaviour, thus emphasising the need for preventive stress-coping strategies for adolescents.