Overview Of Childhood Obesity

Obesity in childhood is defined as children and adolescents whose weight is above the normal parameters for their age and height.

Different children, however, have different body frames and this needs to be considered when determining whether a child is actually overweight/obese or not. If a child's weight is a concern to the parent, then it's advisable to discuss the issue with a healthcare professional. They will consider the child's growth from birth, the family's weight-for-height history and where the child's weight and height is plotted on their growth chart. This information will help the healthcare professional determine whether the child is indeed overweight or obese and if any management protocols need to be incorporated.

Causes of and risk factors for childhood obesity

As mentioned in this article, certain modifiable risk factors are noted as predictors for childhood obesity. The following will be additional causes that affect a child's weight during their developmental phases.

• Increased intake of high-calorie foods.
• Decreased physical activity, therefore less calories are burnt off.
• Changes in digestive hormones that affect the signals letting one know that they are full.
• Having a history of obese or overweight family members.
• Psychological factors such as parental, family and personal stress can result in the child using food as a coping mechanism.
• Socio-economic factors such as not being able to afford long-lasting foods and rather opt to buyimg frozen meals, cookies and similar foods that tend to be high in calorie content.

Complications

Physical complications

• High cholesterol and high blood pressure - A poor diet can result in a child developing these health conditions. If these issues are not managed adequately, then the patient can end up suffering from complications such as experiencing a heart attack.
• Type 2 diabetes - Obesity and decreased physical activity can result in your body not being able to store glucose from the bloodstream to the cells, and this results in developing type 2 diabetes.
• Metabolic syndrome - The collective name given to patients diagnosed with high blood pressure, increased cholesterol (with low HDL and high triglycerides), type 2 diabetes and excessive abdominal fat.
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) - Fatty deposits build-up on the liver that can result in scarring and damage to the organ.
• Asthma - The risk of developing this respiratory problem increases with obesity.
• Sleeping disorders - Obese children can develop obstructive sleep apnoea.

READ Babies Raised On Formula Who Start Eating Solid Foods At Four Months More Likely To Become Obese

Emotional and social complications

• Learning and behavioural problems - Obese children tend to become more anxious and have poorer social skills when compared to children with a normal weight. These children can become socially withdrawn or they can act out and become disruptive. Obese children who continue on this path may end up taking up other problematic behaviours such as alcohol consumption and tobacco use.
• Low self-esteem - Obese children tend to be teased and bullied by their peers and this can result in a poor self-image.
• Depression - As a result of a low self-esteem, depression can develop in these children.