Childhood Obesity: Hidden Health Risks and Prevention

Chubby cheeks may look cute in children, and it’s often said that a chubby baby is a healthy baby. However, it’s important to distinguish between healthy growth and childhood obesity, which poses serious health risks. In this article, we will understand the effects of obesity on young children, the causes of obesity, and how we can try to improve the quality of life of our children.

What is Childhood Obesity?

According to the WHO, childhood obesity is one of the most serious challenges facing us in the 21st century. In 2024, 35 million children under the age of 5 were suffering from obesity, and the number is still on an increasing trend (WHO, 2024). Childhood obesity is a serious health condition that involves having excess fat in the body at an early age. A child is considered healthy if their BMI lies between the 5th and 85th percentile according to the WHO Body Mass Index for Age Charts.

Symptoms of Childhood Obesity

Children need a certain amount of calories and nutrition for development and growth, but they often eat far more calories than recommended, especially sugar. Here are some signs and symptoms that might serve as a warning:

• Digestive Issues: Frequent digestive issues, such as constipation or acid reflux.
  

• Tiredness: Feeling lethargic even after resting or sleeping all day.
  

• Disturbed Sleep Cycle: Irregular sleep routine or frequent waking at night.
  

• Insulin Resistance: Dark patches on the skin around the neck or underarms.
  

• Emotional Eating: Children are still developing emotional regulation skills and may turn to food as a coping mechanism for stress or emotional discomfort.
  

• Reproductive Health Issues: Early onset of periods or puberty.
  

• Poor Bone Health: Joint pain at an early age.
  

Causes of Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity is a serious disease that needs attention at an early stage. Many factors can affect children's health. Let's take a look at some common reasons that can cause obesity in young children:

• Genetic Factor: Genetic obesity, also known as syndromic obesity, is a certain genetic disorder that can cause severe to life-threatening obesity in children.
  

• Family Environment: Children's health and development are mainly dependent on and affected by their family environment. The type of food their parents offer matters the most. Nowadays, we can see that children do not eat food without screen time. In such conditions, children are not aware of their calorie intake, which can lead to obesity.
  

• Poor Lifestyle: Poor lifestyle choices are the most common factor that affects children's health. Little to no activity or playtime, or bad food choices such as processed food, sugary food items, or a high-calorie, high-fat diet, affect the health and development of kids.
  

• Hormonal Issues: Certain hormonal imbalances, such as hypothyroidism, growth hormone deficiency, early periods or puberty, hypothalamic tumours, etc., affect the health of children in terms of weight gain and other ways.
  

• Medications: Certain medications can increase the risk of childhood obesity. Here are a few examples:

  • Prednisone

  • Amitriptyline

  • Paroxetine

  • Gabapentin

  • Risperidone

  • Olanzapine

If your child is experiencing sudden weight gain, you can ask your healthcare professional to change the medication or adjust the dosage.

Effects of Childhood Obesity

Obesity in children affects not only their physical health but also their mental health. Let's take a look at how obesity affects children's health:

Physical Health Issues

Physical health issues in children due to obesity can include the following:

• Type 2 Diabetes

• High Cholesterol

• High Blood Pressure

• Joint Pain and Bone Issues

• Cardiovascular Diseases

• Fatty Liver

• Sleep Apnea

• Hormonal Problems

• Delayed or Early Puberty

• Breathing Issues

• Digestive Problems

Mental Health Issues

Mental health issues in children due to obesity can include the following:

• Stress

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Behavioural Issues

• Low Self-Esteem

• Eating Disorders

• Other Psychological Comorbidities

Children with childhood obesity often get bullied in their surroundings, which results in low confidence and low self-esteem. This affects their general personality and often results in anger issues or tantrums with their parents.

Jennifer Anderson, MSPH, RDN, posted a reel on her Instagram account (@kids.eat.in.color), regarding childhood obesity:

How to Prevent Childhood Obesity?

Prevention of childhood obesity is a collective responsibility of the family, schools, and society. To prevent or manage obesity in children, you can do the following:

• Encourage an active lifestyle and more playtime
  

• Breastfeed until the infant is 6 months old
  

• Do not offer sugar or salt until the age of one
  

• Reduce screen time
  

• Introduce light to moderate exercise
  

• Get nutrition counselling if your child is already suffering from obesity
  

• Encourage kids to take active participation in household chores
  

• Encourage children to participate in sports
  

• Offer a healthy and balanced nutritional diet
  

• Try new foods
  

• Build a healthy relationship with junk food
  

• Avoid or minimize sugary drinks
  

• Limit sweets or chocolates to one per day
  

• Educate your children about healthy living

Make sure to get your child's checkups at least once a year or consult a paediatrician annually or whenever you see warning signs. If your child's BMI (Body Mass Index) rises significantly over a year, your child may be at risk of childhood obesity. In such cases, you might need to seek professional help.

By Vaishnavi Malvankar

_MSM/SE