Childhood Obesity

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Dr. Xavier Gonzalez and Dr. Tiffany Baird, pediatricians for Five Oaks
Medical Group report that they are becoming increasingly concerned by the
increase in childhood obesity. Obesity is a serious health concern
for children and adolescents.

Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. The prevalence
of obesity among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from
6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008. The prevalence of obesity among
adolescents aged 12 to 19 years increased from 5.0% to 18.1%.

Obese children and adolescents are at risk for increased health problems during their
youth and as adults. For example, during their youth, obese
children and adolescents are more likely to have risk factors associated
with cardiovascular disease (such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol,
and Type 2 diabetes) than are other children and
adolescents. In a population-based sample of 5- to 17-year-olds, 70%
of obese youth had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease

Children and adolescents who are obese are at greater risk for bone and
joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological problems such as
stigmatization and poor self-esteem.

Obese youth are more likely than youth of normal weight to be overweight
or obese as adults, and therefore more at risk for associated
adult health problems, including heart disease, type 2
diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis.

One study found that approximately 80% of children
who were overweight at aged 10-15 years were obese adults at
age 25 years. Another study found that 25% of obese adults were
overweight as children. The latter study also found that if overweight
begins before 8 years of age, obesity in adulthood is likely to be more
severe.

The good news is that healthy lifestyle habits, including healthy eating and
physical activity, can lower the risk of becoming obese and
developing related diseases.

Defining Childhood Overweight and Obesity

Body mass index (BMI) is a practical measure used to determine overweight
and obesity. BMI is a measure of weight in relation to height
that is used to determine weight status. BMI is the most widely
accepted method used to screen for overweight and obesity in
children and adolescents because it is relatively easy to obtain the height
and weight measurements needed to calculate BMI, measurements are
non-invasive and BMI correlates with body fatness. While BMI is an
accepted screening tool for the initial assessment of body fatness in
children and adolescents, it is not a diagnostic measure because BMI
is not a direct measure of body fatness.

Overweight is defined as a BMI at or above the 85th percentile and lower
than the 95th percentile. Obesity is defined as a BMI at or above the 95th
percentile for children of the same age and sex.
Contributing Factors

Consuming More Calories Than Are Being Used

At the individual level, childhood obesity is the result of an imbalance
between the calories a child consumes as food and beverages and the calories
a child uses to support normal growth and development, metabolism, and
physical activity. In other words, obesity results when a child consumes
more calories than the child uses. The imbalance between calories consumed
and calories used can result from the influences and interactions of a
number of factors, including genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors.
It is the interactions among these factors ?rather than any single factor
?that is thought to cause obesity.

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