What is childhood obesity?
Recent studies in the UK have shown a dramatic rise in childhood obesity in the past 20 years. Many parents underestimate the degree to which their child is overweight, and there has never been an international consensus on the definition of obesity. One of the more reliable methods of checking if a child is obese is to look at body mass index (BMI) centiles, which provide a measure of body fat based on height and weight.
Children can become overweight as young as five. It is important to manage and control weight gain at an early stage by establishing healthy eating and exercise patterns. The best time to intervene with an overweight child is around the age of eight or nine.
What are the causes?
* Genetic. There are some risk factors for obesity which cannot be changed.
For example, some children are more prone to putting on weight than others.
Being genetically predisposed to obesity is not uncommon when there is a family history of it. In rare cases there may be a medical cause for weight gain, and mental health problems in parents have also been shown to be associated with an increased risk of child obesity.
These genetic factors are unlikely to have increased during the past 20 years, so it is likely that much of the observed rise in cases of obesity is associated with other factors. The good news is that the following factors are amenable to change.
* Sedentary behaviour. Children's lifestyles tend to be more sedentary than in the past, with more children being driven to school and taking part in less physical activities such as watching TV and playing computer games instead of playing outside or doing sports. Inactivity increases the likelihood that children will consume more calories than the body can burn during a day.
* Unhealthy eating habits. There is an increased availability of and reliance on convenience foods and ready-cooked meals. These tend to be high in fat and sugar content, as are many popular children's snacks such as crisps and fizzy drinks.
Some children can get into a cycle of binge eating or comfort eating, often because they have been offered food when they are upset rather than talking about the problem.
What are the dangers?
If not properly treated, childhood obesity carries the following risks.
* It places strain on the joints, heart and lungs.
* It increases the risks of early osteoarthritis, breathing problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
* It is associated with feelings of depression and anxiety, especially in older children when body image becomes increasingly important.
Management and prevention
Preventing obesity, by introducing healthy eating and lifestyle habits in early childhood, is much easier than treating it. It is important to take a sensible approach by being aware of the relationship between exercise and the amount that a child eats, as well as what they eat. Dieting can be counterproductive. Simply reducing calories, rather than focusing on a healthy balanced diet, can be psychologically stressful for a child. It could also adversely affect growth and the child's interpretation of normal eating.
Simple lifestyle measures
Suggest that parents follow these steps whether or not a child is overweight.
* Focus on controlling weight through healthy eating rather than controlling calories - for example, try encouraging children to snack on fruit.
* Limit crisps, sweets and fizzy drinks to being rare treats.
* Establish a pattern of sitting down to whole-family meals rather than eating while watching television. This can help children concentrate on what they are eating.
* Monitor the amount of leisure time a child spends watching TV or playing on a computer. Suggest alternative activities that are less sedate, such as playing outside or going swimming.
* Encourage regular exercise and a more active lifestyle, taking walks and playing games together.
* Teach children to recognise when they are full or hungry, and not to use food as a way of alleviating boredom or dealing with frustrations.
Written and researched by Marcella McEvoy
* NOTE: It is important to look at the child's diet in conjunction with healthy eating and lifestyle plans. If your are very concerned, consult a doctor.
