Childhood Obesity
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748
REVIEW
Health consequences of obesity
J J Reilly, E Methven, Z C McDowell, B Hacking, D Alexander, L Stewart, C J H Kelnar
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Arch Dis Child 2003;88:748–752
The recent epidemic of childhood obesity1 has raised concern because of the possible clinical and public health consequences.2 3 However, there remains a widespread perception among health professionals that childhood obesity is a largely cosmetic problem, with minor clinical effects. No systematic review has yet focused on the diverse array of possible consequences of childhood obesity, though older non-systematic reviews are available.4 5 In addition, no review to date has considered the vast body of evidence on the health impact of childhood obesity which has been published recently. The aim of the present review was therefore to provide a critically appraised, evidence based, summary of the consequences of childhood obesity in the short term (for the child) and longer term (in adulthood).
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were rated for methodological quality by at least two independent reviewers using published criteria6–8: all or most methodological criteria met, low risk of bias; some criteria not fulfilled or study inadequately described, low risk of bias; few or no criteria fulfilled, high risk of bias. Conclusions of this review are based solely on evidence with low risk of bias, and references are cited for such evidence. The rationale for this approach is that recommendations based on evidence should be explicitly linked to the strength of the underlying evidence, and, where possible, based on high quality evidence.7 8 The nature of the question being addressed meant that most of the evidence considered was level 2 and 3. Reference details
748
REVIEW
Health consequences of obesity
J J Reilly, E Methven, Z C McDowell, B Hacking, D Alexander, L Stewart, C J H Kelnar
.............................................................................................................................
Arch Dis Child 2003;88:748–752
The recent epidemic of childhood obesity1 has raised concern because of the possible clinical and public health consequences.2 3 However, there remains a widespread perception among health professionals that childhood obesity is a largely cosmetic problem, with minor clinical effects. No systematic review has yet focused on the diverse array of possible consequences of childhood obesity, though older non-systematic reviews are available.4 5 In addition, no review to date has considered the vast body of evidence on the health impact of childhood obesity which has been published recently. The aim of the present review was therefore to provide a critically appraised, evidence based, summary of the consequences of childhood obesity in the short term (for the child) and longer term (in adulthood).
..........................................................................
were rated for methodological quality by at least two independent reviewers using published criteria6–8: all or most methodological criteria met, low risk of bias; some criteria not fulfilled or study inadequately described, low risk of bias; few or no criteria fulfilled, high risk of bias. Conclusions of this review are based solely on evidence with low risk of bias, and references are cited for such evidence. The rationale for this approach is that recommendations based on evidence should be explicitly linked to the strength of the underlying evidence, and, where possible, based on high quality evidence.7 8 The nature of the question being addressed meant that most of the evidence considered was level 2 and 3. Reference details
References: Topic Collections Articles on similar topics can be found in the following collections Health education (316 articles) Health promotion (350 articles) Obesity (nutrition) (172 articles) Obesity (public health) (172 articles) Child health (1969 articles)