You might have observed the overweight children around you in the school, shopping malls or even on the playgrounds. We often ignore them by blaming it to either their heredity or the sedentary lifestyle. We do not realize that these children are categorized as obese and it is a serious problem that should not be ignored. Yes, you read it right.
Childhood obesity is a growing problem in many English-speaking countries. This condition occurs when a child is significantly above the normal weight for their age and height. It is a fact that this condition is often caused by a combination of genetic issues but the environmental and lifestyle factors are equally responsible for obesity in children.
Do you know, that in 2022, around 37 million children were found to be overweight under the age of 5? In the same year, the obesity rate for children in the age group of 5 to 19 years is more than 390 million globally.
Yes, child obesity is emerging as a serious health issue contributing to other chronic health issues. This complex health issue has several causes, however, the primary reason is an unhealthy lifestyle. Other reasons on the list include eating patterns, lack of nutrition, genetics, insufficient sleep, emotional stress, lack of physical activities, etc. The condition in which the child grows, plays, learns, and lives also contributes to their obesity levels. In certain cases, particular medications or illnesses can also lead to excess weight.
In this article we will take a close look at Childhood Obesity, its symptoms, causes and possible solutions. Let’s read on –
What is Childhood Obesity?
We generally look quote chubby children as cute. However, we fail to learn that this chubbiness might lead to various other health issues in the future.
Childhood obesity is a long-term health condition that occurs when the weight of your child increases above the healthy weight considering their sex, height, and age at birth. Medically, child obesity means having a BMI (Body Mass Index) equal to or more than the 95th percentile of sex and age in children of 2 years or more.
It should be noted here that the BMI factor of the children is different from that of the adults. When considering the BMI of the children is specifically related to the sex and age as their body compositions change naturally as they grow. Healthcare practitioners use BMI and various other factors to determine the obesity level in children like family history, blood sugar levels, blood pressure, physical activity levels, eating patterns, etc.
What are the Causes of Childhood Obesity?
There are more than one factors responsible for obesity among the children. Obesity is primarily caused by an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure. It is also influenced by lifestyle and dietary preferences.
However, genetic factors also significantly contribute to obesity risk. The recent study done on the group of overweight children highlights an ecological model that identifies factors like diet, physical activity, and sedentary behavior for increase in the body fat of the children. These factor are also influenced by the age, gender and family dynamics like parenting styles and lifestyles, etc.
There are other factors like environmental influences, such as school policies and parental work demands, also affect eating and activity habits. Below are a few salient causes of obesity among the children –
- Genetic diseases like Alstrom Syndrome, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Congenital Leptin, etc.
- Family history of obesity
- Hormonal Imbalance including Hypothyroidism, Growth hormone deficiency, Cushing syndrome, Hypothalamic tumor, etc.
- Lifestyle
- Lack of exercise or physical activity
- Psychological factors
- Improper diet or eating patterns
- High intake of sugar contents, fats, or junk food
- Lack of quality sleep
- Secondhand exposure to smoke
- Adverse Childhood experiences
- Increases screen time
- Transportation access
- Certain Medications like corticosteroids, birth control pills, medicines for diabetes, seizures, and psychosis, and antipsychotics
Genetics
As we already said, Genetics significantly contributes to obesity. If the parents of the child are overweight the kids are often found overweight too. The studies indicate that the BMI is 25–40% heritable. This is a significant number and can not be ignored.
However, genetic susceptibility when combined with environmental and behavioral factors do influence weight. Genetics account for under 5% of childhood obesity cases. This highlights that while genetics play a role, they do not explain the sharp rise in childhood obesity.
Basal Metabolic Rate
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the amount of energy expended by an individual at rest in order to maintain basic bodily functions such as breathing, circulation, and cell production. It represents the minimum amount of energy required to keep the body functioning while at rest. BMR is influenced by factors such as age, weight, height, and muscle mass, with higher muscle mass typically resulting in a higher BMR. Knowing one’s BMR is important for creating a personalized diet and exercise plan to effectively manage weight and overall health.
Basal metabolic rate (BMR) accounts for 60% of total energy use in sedentary adults. It’s been suggested that obese individuals may have lower BMRs. However, these differences are unlikely to explain the increasing obesity rates.
Childhood Obesity – Complications
Children who are overweight are at a higher risk of developing various health issues in the future. Some of the popular complications observed include:
- High Cholesterol levels or Dyslipidemia
- High Blood Pressure
- Fatty Liver Diseases (nonalcoholic-related)
- Insulin Resistance, Diabetes Type 2, and Prediabetes
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- Asthma
- Depression
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS
- Joint Pain
- Heart Disease
- Blount’s Disease
Apart from all these, children who are overweight often experience emotional trauma like social isolation, low self-esteem, and bullying. They mostly carry obesity till adulthood or throughout their life. Pediatricians recommend particular tests and suggest treatments based on the complications to work out these conditions.
How is the Diagnosis of Childhood Obesity carried out?
Well-child checks are a popular method of diagnosing obesity or overweight by pediatrics. They determine the growth patterns and measure the size through children’s BMI age growth charts.
When the BMI is high it might indicate high body fat. It should be noted that the BMI doesn’t directly measure body fat, however, it suggests further tests of the child to check if there is any issue due to excess body fat. The cutoffs of the BMI percentile provide a level beyond which the chances of your child developing health issues in the future increase.
The pediatrician would carry out further physical examinations and question you about the child’s behaviors, environment, health history, etc. They would also prescribe other imaging tests, blood tests, cholesterol tests, blood tests for hormonal imbalance, etc. to check on other possible causes of obesity or other health issues related to it.
Child Obesity – Treatment and Management
Once the tests and other examinations are carried out, the pediatrician will be able to determine if your child’s weight is knotty or not. Depending on the seriousness of the child’s condition, the healthcare practitioner would help you with a proper treatment plan.
The treatment programs for obesity in children include various healthcare professionals. The treatment programs would be a combined effort of registered dieticians, pediatricians, physical therapists, exercise physiologists, nurse practitioners, family physicians, psychiatrists, and child psychologists.
An all-inclusive obesity treatment program includes:
- Monitoring and evaluating the child for other psychological and medical complications due to obesity
- Suggesting a long-term and intensive treatment plan
- Addressing and identifying social health drivers like affordable and healthy food, etc.
- Introducing motivational interviewing to address physical activity, health behavior changes, and nutrition
- To treat the child’s unique situation or qualities through non-stigmatizing approaches
- Determining comprehensive treatment goals that consider resolving health issues, improving the complications, working on self-imaging, improving the life quality, etc.
- Introducing IHBLT (Intensive Health Behavior and Lifestyle Treatment) with medications for weight loss along with bariatric and metabolic surgery if needed
- Altering the treatment plan according to the changing or ongoing needs of the child and its family
IHBLT or Intensive Health Behavior and Lifestyle Treatment is highly recommended by healthcare practitioners while treating childhood obesity as this program supports and educates the family regarding the physical activity changes and nutrition needed to encourage long-term health. The program is highly effective when it is carried out in person with the whole family as well as involves a minimum of 26 hours of physical activity, behavior change lessons, and nutrition in 3 months to 1 year.
How to help your child suffering from obesity?
Every obesity treatment plan includes complete support from the family to achieve the utmost success. When helping a child suffering from obesity, the foremost thing any parent would think about would be focusing on the weight of the child. But the focus should be on the child’s health. The family needs to support the child emotionally throughout the treatment to improve their health. The child generally looks after how you feel about the health issue. If the parent is ready to accept the weight of the child, he/she would also be ready to accept it. Hence, avoid comparing your child with other healthy kids or blaming them for their weight.
Make sure to talk with the child in a nonjudgmental tone about the weight. The child would be comfortable to share any kind of concerns.
Some approaches that can be introduced include:
- Be an example for your child when it comes to being physically active and healthy
- Plan activities like swimming, biking, walking, exercises, etc. with everyone in the family
- Help your child in finding easy and comfortable physical activities that they would enjoy
- Try to limit the screen time not only for the child but the entire family and focus on other family activities
- Develop a regular bedtime and avoid using electronic gadgets in the child’s room to promote healthy sleep
- Try to introduce a variety of healthy ingredients in the house and allow your child to make healthy food selections
- Take the help of your child when preparing meals or going for food shopping to help them learn about nutrition
- Help your child sense hunger and fullness by eating slowly
- Avoid using mobile phones, television, etc. during mealtime to encourage pleasant conversations and family time
- Don’t reward the child with sweets or other food items to promote healthy activities or complete meals
- Keep a watch on what your child prefers to eat outside and allow them to choose healthy food and portion sizes
A Few Important Questions About Childhood Obesity
1. What are the healthy eating habits for child obesity?
When shopping for groceries, focus on vegetables and fruits, limit the intake of sweetened items and beverages, avoid junk or fast food, avoid electronics when eating, serve small portions, etc.
2. Is weight-loss surgery suggested for children as a treatment for childhood obesity?
Weight-loss surgery is mostly suggested for adults dealing with obesity. However, the doctor might suggest surgery for an obese child if the weight of the child poses a health threat dangerous to the child’s life.
3. How do I know if my child is suffering from childhood obesity?
Look for signs like shortness of breath when performing physical activities, sleep apnea, joint pain, diabetes (Type 2, High blood pressure, Early puberty, Fatty deposits surrounding the eyes, depression, etc.
Conclusion
Childhood obesity is a complex condition and thus, rather than working on it, people prefer feeling responsible or guilty for their child. However, the parents need to consider the various factors leading to this serious health issue and try to have control over it by supporting the child’s health. Prevention of childhood obesity is a collective responsibility which isn’t simple. Reach out to a healthcare practitioner as soon as you doubt your child being obese as this would either limit or reverse any possible complications and gift your child a healthy future.
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