Chubby children cause real emotion in many adults. However, being overweight is not just a matter of aesthetic beauty. To maintain good health, you should maintain your weight within the age range. The problems of childhood obesity will be discussed in our article.
When do people talk about obesity?
A pathological condition in which weight changes upward and exceeds normal age indicators by more than 15% is called obesity. Many specialists use a parameter such as body mass index to make a diagnosis. This is the ratio of height in meters to double weight in kg. The body mass index is expressed in absolute numbers. Exceeding it above 30 indicates the presence of obesity in the child.
Obesity can develop at any age: both in newborns and in adolescents. According to statistics, obesity occurs in girls under 8 years of age more often than in boys. However, after puberty, this ratio changes. Often, parents of newborn babies confuse obesity and large body sizes.
If at birth the weight of the child exceeds the norm, then this does not give grounds for the diagnosis of obesity.
Obese babies live in different countries. In economically developed countries there are more of them than in developing ones. This feature is largely due to excess nutrition, low physical activity, and the abuse of fast food. In Asia, the number of overweight babies is several times lower than in Europe and America. This is due to the historical culture of food and the lack of an abundance of foods containing saturated fat on the Asians' menu.
The incidence rates are growing every year. This trend is rather unfavorable. Two out of ten babies in Russia are obese. In the countries of the post-Soviet space, the incidence rate also increases every year. Approximately 15% of babies living in Belarus and Ukraine suffer from varying degrees of obesity.
In rural areas, there are slightly fewer children who have problems with overweight. In many ways, this feature is due to greater physical activity than in the city, as well as high-quality food, which does not contain numerous chemical additives and preservatives. According to statistics, obesity is registered in urban kids in 10% of cases. For small rural residents this indicator is lower - about 6-7%.
The onset of the disease in childhood is extremely unfavorable. Many parents believe that being overweight only adorns the child and makes him pretty, however, they are mistaken. It is from an early age that eating habits begin to form in babies. After all, you probably noticed that from the first months of life, a child has his own taste preferences. Some kids love porridge and chicken, while others can't help but eat sweet fruit.
Little sweet tooths can be identified from an early age. If parents at this time encourage each achievement of the child with a candy or a sweet high-calorie cookie, then the baby will subsequently develop an incorrect eating behavior. Throughout his later life, he will be pathologically drawn to sweets and chocolate. Moreover, an adult can no longer find any logical explanation for this.
Pediatric endocrinologists are involved in the treatment and diagnosis of various weight problems. The danger of obesity is that it can lead to permanent disruptions in the work of many vital organs. Subsequently, babies develop cardiovascular, neurological disorders, chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as severe metabolic disorders. Late diagnosis of the disease and non-compliance with the diet contribute to the progression of the disease.
Causes
The development of obesity in babies can be caused by a wide variety of causes. Most of the factors arise from outside influences. This action should be long-term and regular. This ultimately leads to the development of obesity.
Causal factors for overweight problems include:
- Excess food. The daily excess of the calorie content of the daily diet contributes to the oversaturation of the body with various nutrients. He begins to store all surpluses in reserve. Ultimately, this leads to the fact that the child develops morbid obesity.
- Excessive consumption of sweets. These fast carbohydrates are very dangerous. Once in the body, they begin to be absorbed already in the oral cavity. The glucose (common sugar) in these sweets rapidly leads to hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). In order to normalize the blood sugar level, the body secretes a huge amount of insulin and hyperinsulinemia sets in. This condition is fraught with the fact that all excess sweets are deposited in special fat depots - adipocytes, which contributes to the development of obesity.
- Insufficient physical activity. Vigorous movement is required to burn excess calories from food. Babies who eat a lot of high-calorie or sweet foods, but do not attend sports clubs and spend most of their time at home with a tablet or phone, are at risk for the possible development of obesity. The balance between incoming calories and their utilization ensures the maintenance of a normal weight at any age.
- Heredity. Scientists have found that 85% of parents with overweight problems have babies who also have problems with being overweight. For a long time, experts believed that there was a "gene for obesity." However, to date, there is no scientific evidence for this. Most likely, in families where family members have developed obesity, improper eating habits have formed. In this case, high-calorie nutrition leads to the appearance of weight problems in both adults and babies.
- Chronic diseases. Various pathologies of the pituitary gland, adrenal glands, thyroid gland lead to pronounced metabolic disorders. Typically, these illnesses are accompanied by multiple adverse symptoms. Overweight is just one of their clinical manifestations. To eliminate obesity in this case, one cannot do without treating the underlying disease.
- Great birth weight. If a newborn baby has a body weight of more than 4 kg, then this is a significant risk factor in his later life for the formation of excess body weight. Obesity in this case is not caused by a large birth weight, but by further overfeeding of the child. Low physical activity only aggravates the development of the disease.
- Strong emotional stress. More and more scientists say that various "seizures" lead to the development of weight disorders. This condition is more common in adolescents. Excessive stress at school, the first unrequited love, the absence of friends causes the child to have a strong desire to “relieve” stress with the help of a chocolate or candy. In children aged 5-7 years, the development of this type of obesity is often caused by a painful divorce of parents or moving to a new place of residence.
In some cases, the combined effect of several factors at once leads to the disease. Eating disorders with reduced physical activity always have the most important effect on the fact that the baby has extra pounds.
In this case, parental intervention should be as delicate as possible. You need to show the child that you are on his side and are trying to help, because you love and care for him so much.
Classification
There are several clinical forms of the disease. This influenced the creation of several classifications, in which the main variants of obesity are highlighted, taking into account some features. These nosological groups are needed by doctors to establish a diagnosis and choose the correct treatment tactics.
All normal indicators of weight by age are usually collected in a special centile table. With the help of this document, you can determine the approximate body weight for a child of different sex and age. All children's doctors use these tables to determine whether a particular baby has signs of obesity. The norm is the correspondence to the centiles 25, 50 and 75. If the child's weight corresponds to centiles of 90.97 and above, then this indicates that the baby is obese.
Doctors identify several clinical forms of the disease:
- Primary. It can be exogenous-constitutional and alimentary. With eating disorders and nutritional problems, they talk about food (alimentary) obesity. If the baby has some features of the constitution and hereditary characteristics, then this is an exogenous-constitutional option. Obesity is treated in this case with the help of the appointment of medical nutrition and with the obligatory selection of optimal loads.
- Secondary. Also called symptomatic. This type of obesity is characteristic of many chronic diseases that cause severe metabolic disorders. In girls, this condition occurs with various diseases of the ovaries, and in boys, mainly with pathology of the thyroid gland. Treatment of excess weight in these situations is impossible without eliminating the causes of the underlying disease. The correct tactics of therapy necessarily include a complex of treatment for all chronic diseases that are the main cause of obesity.
Pediatric endocrinologists identify several dangerous periods during the development of a child, when the chance of obesity in a baby is as high as possible. These include the age up to 3 years, 5-7 years, as well as the puberty period (12-16 years). At this time, parents should carefully monitor the appearance of their child. If the baby has signs of overweight, then you should definitely consult with your pediatrician about this problem.
There is also a classification according to the severity of excess weight. It was suggested by A.A. Gaivoronskaya. Using this classification, obesity can be divided into several categories depending on the quantitative excess of weight over normal indicators.
According to this division, several degrees of the disease are distinguished:
- Obesity 1 degree. In this case, the weight exceeds 15-24% of the age indicators of the norm.
- Obesity grade 2. The excess of body weight over normal values is 25-49%.
- Obesity grade 3. The excess of body weight over normal values is 50-99%.
- Obesity grade 4. The excess body weight over the norm is over 100%.
Appearance
Being overweight significantly changes the appearance of a child. Excess fat accumulates in the subcutaneous fat. Normally, its layer is moderately expressed. With obesity, fat cells (adipocytes) increase in size and volume, which leads to an increase in the thickness of the layer of subcutaneous fat. Its greatest accumulation is localized in the abdomen, on the outer surface of the arms and legs, in the buttocks and thighs.
During puberty, there are specific differences in the distribution of subcutaneous fat. So, in girls, the greatest accumulation of excess pounds is deposited mainly on the hips and buttocks, that is, in the lower half of the body. This type of obesity is also called "pear-shaped", As the volumes increase mainly in the lower half of the body.
Male obesity is also called obesity by type "apples". In this case, the accumulation of extra pounds occurs mainly in the abdomen. This type of disease contributes to the fact that the waist disappears, and the configuration of the child's body becomes excessively rounded. Babies look uniformly chubby, and in some cases, even overweight.
Obesity of 2-3 degrees is accompanied by an increase in the thickness of the subcutaneous fat layer in the face and neck. This leads to a change in the baby's appearance. He has not only cute chubby cheeks, but also a seemingly shortened neck. At 4 degrees of obesity, the eye slits are somewhat narrowed. The appearance of the child becomes sick and no longer causes tenderness, but compassion.
The main symptoms
Obesity causes not only a change in the appearance of the child, but also leads to the appearance of various adverse symptoms in him. So, in sick babies, jumps in blood pressure are observed, the pulse accelerates, resistance to physical exertion decreases, a headache appears, and shortness of breath develops. With long-term obesity by adolescence, a child may develop metabolic syndrome. This is a dangerous condition caused by persistent hyperinsulinemia. It is dangerous because it can lead to various cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
With the development of obesity at school age, multiple adverse symptoms appear. So, it becomes more difficult for children to concentrate on mastering new educational material, they quickly get tired, they have daytime sleepiness, sluggishness. Public opinion is very important for a teenager.
Often, obese children have significant communication problems and do not make new friends well. This leads to the fact that the teenager feels that he is not needed by anyone and closed for communication, including with his parents and people close to him.
If obesity is secondary, then, in addition to overweight, the child develops other, more dangerous symptoms. So, in adolescent girls with pathologies in the ovaries, the following clinical signs appear: excess hair grows all over the body, acne occurs, severe hair loss appears, the menstrual cycle is disrupted, the skin becomes excessively oily and prone to any pustular inflammation. In adolescent boys with secondary obesity, developed against the background of pathologies of the pituitary gland or the reproductive system, there are disorders such as gynecomastia (enlargement of the mammary glands), cryptorchidism, underdevelopment of the external genital organs, and others.
Severe obesity leads to breathing problems. Excessive subcutaneous fat in the abdomen and chest area causes the diaphragm to contract significantly. This condition causes apnea in the child. This pathological condition occurs during sleep. It is characterized by pauses in breathing, which contributes to the development of oxygen starvation of vital organs.
Excess pounds put strong pressure on the musculoskeletal system. It becomes much more difficult for the baby to walk and move. In the later stages of the disease, the child cannot even perform normal active movements. When walking, the baby feels soreness in the joints and muscle weakness. This leads to the fact that the child walks less on the street and is more at home.
Complications and consequences
The long course of the disease has negative long-term consequences. Children suffering from obesity are significantly more likely to develop cardiovascular, neurological and orthopedic diseases.Persistent disorders in the reproductive sphere lead to the fact that in adulthood they cannot conceive a child and experience significant difficulties with bearing.
Pathologic fractures are also most common in people who are obese. In this case, fragility of bones is due to significant pressure on the organs of the musculoskeletal system of excess weight. According to statistics, boys who are obese in childhood often develop various anatomical abnormalities in the feet. This can lead to the development of flat feet and hallux valgus.
Disturbed eating behavior leads to the fact that the child develops numerous chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Most often these are: chronic gastritis and pancreatitis, cholelithiasis with the development of calculous cholecystitis, enterocolitis and irritable bowel syndrome.
Often these pathologies in babies go from acute to chronic. This leads to the fact that the child is prescribed drugs for a constant intake throughout his life.
Diagnostics
Often, parents do not pay attention to the presence of obesity in a baby. Especially if the child is of preschool age. They think it's cute. Many dads and moms believe that all symptoms will go away on their own by adolescence. In some cases, this does happen. However, they are doing the child a disservice.
Childhood is a very important period of life. It is at this time that all the basic habits and behavior patterns are formed in the baby, which he will then transfer into adulthood. Eating behavior is also formed in childhood. All taste preferences then remain throughout life.
If the baby gets used to eating fast food or too fatty and fried food, then later this behavior is fixed in him, as a persistent eating habit. In adulthood, it will be extremely difficult for him to refuse such products. In order to avoid this, you should carefully monitor the diet from an early age.
If signs of obesity appear, you should definitely take your baby to a doctor for a consultation. The specialist will be able to identify the cause of the disease, prescribe a set of examinations to identify secondary obesity, and also recommend to parents what course of therapy is required.
Obesity is a disease that must be carefully monitored and treated.
Treatment
According to clinical guidelines, obesity therapy is carried out taking into account the severity of excess weight. Diet is considered an integral part of treatment. If the child has risk factors that provoke the development of obesity, then the diet should be followed throughout life.
Medical nutrition should be low in calories. Fatty foods, especially those with saturated fats, are completely excluded from the children's diet. In the diet of an obese baby, a sufficient amount of coarse fiber must be present. It is mainly found in fresh vegetables and fruits. Industrial sweets (cakes, pastries, sweets, chocolate, etc.) are completely excluded.
In addition to therapeutic low-calorie nutrition, optimally selected physical activity is required. With a small degree of overweight, visiting sports sections is suitable. With a significant excess of extra pounds, it is very dangerous to go in for sports without medical supervision. In this case, exercise therapy is well suited.
The intensity and range of physical exercises is coordinated with a sports medicine doctor or a professional instructor with a specialized education. Overly active training in obese babies is not permissible, since they can cause various complications in the child from the musculoskeletal system. Exercise should be done at a calm pace and with a certain frequency of repetitions.
Various physiotherapy methods can also help in the fight against excess weight. Cavitation, ultrasound therapy, therapeutic massage eliminate extra centimeters. It is important to remember that physical therapy alone will never be able to completely eliminate obesity. For the treatment of obesity, a systematic approach is needed, including the obligatory proper nutrition or a therapeutic diet, as well as the selection of optimal physical activity.
To eliminate the symptoms of secondary obesity, treatment of the underlying disease is required. In this case, extended diagnostics may be required. Usually, pediatric endocrinologists are involved in the treatment of secondary obesity, with the active participation of gynecologists, nephrologists and other specialists as needed. Obesity prevention plays a very important role in preventing overweight in babies.
A balanced diet, active physical activity and a good psycho-emotional mood contribute to excellent health and maintenance of a normal weight throughout life.
Should the weight and height of the child meet the standards? Dr. Komarovsky answers these and other questions regarding the problems of excess weight in children.
