Childhood Obesity Dora Matagi

Childhood Obesity: An
Overview

Dora Matagić, PO2

recent

research evidence on a number of aspects of childhood obesity:  definition and prevalence
 consequences
 causes and prevention
body

mass index (BMI) as a means of defining obesity in children and adolescents

it

does matter to physical and psychological health
there are adverse health risks for both the obese child and the adult who was obese as a child

Introduction and aim
Strategies

to combat childhood obesity have been overtaken by the scale and speed of the childhood obesity epidemic

Aim:

summarising recent systematic reviews on these topics in order to provide an informed basis for future interventions intended to tackle the childhood obesity epidemic.

Definitions
Obesity

is a disorder in which the body fat content has become so high that it creates health problems or and increased risk of health problems.

the

body mass index (BMI), i.e. weight (in kg) divided by height2
(m2) provides the best simple means of defining overweight

In

adults:
BMI 25 or more = overweight;
BMI 30 or more = obesity.
A

high BMI for age in a boy or girl
(95th percentile or more) =
‘obesity’;

A

slightly lower BMI for age (85th percentile or more) =
‘overweight’.

Many

children and adolescents have BMI percentiles that are below our definitions of overweight and obesity, but are excessively fat

There

is no simple alternative to the BMI which is evidence-based at present

Prevalence: How common is obesity and has it changed over time?

Obesity

in children and adolescents has been increasing rapidly

In




2004 in England, obesity prevalence
(defined as BMI 95th centile or more) was: 14% in 2- to 10-year-olds
25 % in 11- to 15-year-olds

Children

from families of lower socioeconomic status and children from some ethnic minority groups – higher risks of being obese

Consequences of obesity – shortterm
increased

risk of:



orthopaedic problems
(particularly in the foot and hip)