Journal of Obesity & Weight Loss Therapy
Open Access

Abstract

Obesity is worldwide a growing problem. Obese children are at a higher risk for developing comorbidity. The municipality Amsterdam introduced the multidisciplinary approach Amsterdamse Aanpak Gezond Gewicht (AAGG) to standardize healthy behavior and to counteract obesity. This study will provide an overview of children with obesity and comorbidity in Amsterdam. It will research whether a predicting factor can be found among risk factors and it will be used to evaluate the effect of the AAGG in coming years. 822 children, who started an obesity program in the OLVG hospitals between 20122015, were included. Demographic data, the BMI grade, comorbidity and risk factors were collected and analyzed. 59% of the children were between 5-12 years. The majority (45%) had obesity grade I (n=807). Almost a third were Moroccan (n=786) and half of the children (n=753) had a bottom/low socio-economic environment. Regarding comorbidity, 21 had pre-diabetes, two had diabetes mellitus, 50 had elevated LDL-cholesterol levels, 149 showed hypertension and 61 had elevated ALT-levels (n=204). Moroccan and Ghanaian children were twice more likely to develop comorbidity than Dutch children. 151 children with risk factors developed comorbidity (n=643), while 47 children had comorbidity without risk factors (n=141). Regarding ethnicities, 20-30% of the children with risk factors developed comorbidity. About 25% of the children showed comorbidity, of which the majority had obesity grade I. A relation between certain ethnicities and comorbidity was found. The AAGG promises good results and this study is a baseline measurement to evaluate the effect of the AAGG-approach in coming years.

Biography

Ghizlan El Mansouri has completed her Bachelor degree in Biomedical Sciences in 2013 at VU University Amsterdam and is currently a fifth-year Medical Student at VUmc School of Medical Sciences, Amsterdam. In addition to her internships, she puts time and energy in doing scientific research and working in health care institutions.
Email:elmansouri.g@gmail.com