Causes and risk factors
Basic cause of obesity in children is imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended. Factors responsible for this such as diet which is low in essential nutrients and high in sugar and fats i.e. ready to eat foods like biscuits, cookies or canned foods, sedentary lifestyles, lack of exercise, overuse of conveniences’ such as cars, etc. Family history, psychological factors like stress, boredom, Genetics, Various diseases (e.g. Cushing’s syndrome, Night eating syndrome), certain medications like steroids lead to development of obesity in children.
Clinical presentation
Weight gain above the normal range for his/her age and height, extra fat accumulation on areas like waist, hip, thighs, chest etc., fatigue are the presenting features. Long term health effects of childhood obesity are sleep apnoea, respiratory problems, heart disease, osteoarthritis, thyroid disease, type 2 diabetes and certain type of cancers. Psychological problems like poor self esteem, low confidence, depression may arise may contribute to the obesity in children.
Investigation
Medical history by the patient and Clinical examination by the doctor helps in diagnosis. The doctor calculates body mass index [BMI] to check whether he is overweight for his/her age and height. Routine blood tests to rule out other possible causes for obesity such as thyroid function test, cholesterol level etc.
Treatment
Treatment involves following healthy dietary habits and regular exercise for overweight children. Obese children may require a diet plan and exercise to lose weight. Some regular habits and lifestyle changes such as including more vegetables and salads in meals, shift from saturated fats to unsaturated fats, limiting intake of sugars, avoiding eating in front of television, limiting the number of times one eats in the restaurants, preferring home cooked food in lunch box, avoiding canned foods, eating in appropriate quantity will also help in managing childhood obesity. Rarely, medications for curbing appetite may be used in children to treat obesity. Bariatric surgery is being increasingly tried to treat morbid childhood obesity to prevent long term complications of obesity.
Other Modes of treatment
The other modes of treatment can also be effective in treating Childhood obesity. Homoeopathy is a science which deals with individualization considers a person in a holistic way. This science can be helpful in combating the symptoms. Similarly the ayurvedic system of medicine which uses herbal medicines and synthetic derivates are also found to be effective in treating Childhood obesity.
Recent updates
A study at Imperial college UK has shown that having ADHD predispose children to high risk of becoming obese in adolescence.
Facts and figures
Globally number of overweight children under age of five, in 2013 was estimated to be over 42 million.
