Journal of Obesity & Weight Loss Therapy
Open Access

Abstract

Childhood obesity is a major public health crisis nationally and internationally. The prevalence of childhood obesity has increased over few years in all pediatric age groups in both the sexes. Approximately 22 million children under 5 years of age are over-weight across the world. The number of overweight children and adolescents has doubled in last 2 to 3 decades in the world. World Health Organization on childhood obesity has found 41 million children under 5 years either obese or over-weight as of 2014. However more than 90% of cases are idiopathic and less than 10% are associated with hormonal or genetic causes. The idiopathic mainly caused is by imbalance between calorie intake and calories utilized. High calorie density and fat content of modern diet and lack of physical activity is associated with increased risk of obesity. Physical, psychological and social health problems are caused due to child health obesity. Co-morbidities associated with obesity and overweight are similar in children as in adult population and also elevated blood pressure, dyslipidemia and high prevalence insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes appear as frequent complication in the overweight and obese pediatric population. Approaches in the prevention and treatment of childhood overweight and obesity are urgently required including healthy diet and physical activity. When lifestyle modification is insufficient to reach weight loss and complication of obesity affects child health, pharmacotherapy is recommended for age more than 10 years. Bariatric surgery is reserved for carefully selected subgroup of young children with obesity related co-morbid condition that threaten the child health where lifestyle and medication have been evaluated but found not be effective.

Biography

Horia Al Mawlawi has completed her Graduation and Post-graduation from King Abdulaziz University. She is working now in Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Jedda as Instructor. She has published so many papers.

Email: horia_mawlawi@hotmail.com