Obesity in children: Cause and effects
We all want children to be healthy. But sometimes, we misunderstand what constitutes as healthy and what does not.
Just like being underweight is not healthy for the little human beings, being overweight or obese can also be harmful.
Children who are obese may have a higher risk for developing heart disease, diabetes, and other weight-related diseases later in life.
Obesity is a disorder that involves excess body fat. The condition occurs when a person's body mass index (BMI) is 30 or greater.
In 2016, over 340 million children and adolescents, aged 5 to 19, were overweight or obese, according to World Health Organization.
However, South Asia has the lowest (6 percent) child overweight prevalence and the lowest (3 percent) child obesity prevalence in the world, according to a study by University of Washington.
Children who consume more calories than they burn may become overweight or obese. The most common causes are genetic factors, lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns, or a combination of these causes.
Although the rate of obesity is higher in high income countries, it is also increasing in low income countries.
The prevalence of obesity is alarming among school-aged children in Bangladesh too, according to a research article published in BMC Pediatrics. However, there is a lack of national data for overall body weight status of such children.
While being underweight is predominant among rural children, obesity prevails among the urban children in Bangladesh, states the article.
Healthy diet and physical activities are both the mainstay treatment and effective preventive measures for this condition in children.
Comments