Childhood obesity

Edited by Dr. Davide Sganzerla

Childhood obesity is a problem of considerable social importance. The phenomenon, which in Italy affects one in four children, is the result of a positive energy balance over time, in practice more calories are introduced than are consumed.

Insights

Definition of childhood obesity Causes of childhood obesity Consequences of childhood obesity Childhood obesity in Italy Childhood obesity in Europe and the world Childhood obesity: the solutions Prevention of childhood obesity Childhood obesity: prevention

The definition of overweight and childhood obesity is more complex than the adult, whose ideal weight is calculated based on the BMI (Body Mass Index), which is equal to the weight in kg divided by the height in meters. squared. (Confalone, 2002).

Despite having low observation error, low measurement error, good reliability and validity, BMI cannot be a sensitive measure of obesity in very tall and short people, and in people who have unusual compositions of lean and fat mass. ( Sardina, 1999). However, a competent committee, agreed in the International Obesity Task Force in 1999, determined that - although BMI was not an ideal measure - it was still the most valid of all the formulas that calculate adiposity in a individual, and therefore could be used to define overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. (Bellizzi, 1999).
Based on these conclusions, the WHO (World Health Organization), to define a child as overweight and obese, uses the BMI "points" made by a study by Cole in 2000 and developed using different global data. For this, they represent an international reference that can be used to compare the different world populations.
The Italian Ministry of Health defines obese as a child whose weight exceeds the ideal weight by 20%, and overweight if it exceeds it by 10-20%; alternatively, he defines it as such when his BMI is higher than expected. The weight growth of the child is calculated by referring to the percentile tables, graphs that bring together the percentage values of weight and height of children, broken down by sex and age. (Confalone, 2002).
According to recent studies, carried out in 2000 by the NCHS (US National Center of Statistics for Health), growth is normal if it is placed around the 50th percentile, while the more the average value is exceeded, the more the risk of obesity increases; therefore, from the 85th to the 95th percentile the child is defined overweight while the 95th percentile is defined as obese. (Kuczmarski, 2000).