Obesity In Children

Abstract

Childhood obesity is currently a global problem. This disease is spreading among the youngest at an alarming rate. It leads to many complications such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, liver disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and cancer. The risk factors for obesity include socioeconomic factors, poor diet, stress, low physical activity, and genetic factors. Research shows that neglect on each of these levels causes the development of the aforementioned disease. The priority of actions to prevent the occurrence of obesity among children is education about leading a healthy lifestyle from an early age. It should be run by parents, teachers at school and doctors. Currently, a major obstacle in the fight against obesity is the wide and easy availability on the market of processed products that are quick to prepare, high in calories and contain little nutrients. As a result of lack of time or lack of willingness, people more often reach for fast-food dishes, do not play sports, which unfortunately results in the development of the above-mentioned diseases. Undoubtedly, the problem of obesity among children and adolescents is growing. It is therefore important to prevent, quickly detect and treat this disease in its early stages and to build awareness among the population about the dangers of bad habits. This article is a review of current medical knowledge about children obesity based on available publications in Pubmed and Google Scholar databases.