Childhood Obesity: An Updated Review.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the role of bariatric surgery as a treatment option for obese children who do not respond to conventional measures like diet, exercise, and behavioral modification.
Results Summary
The study suggests that bariatric surgery should be considered for obese children with serious comorbidities who fail to respond to other treatments, though it emphasizes that childhood obesity is often refractory and prevention is key.
Population
Obese children with serious comorbid conditions.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dietary modification | decrease | childhood obesity | obese children | - | are the fundamentals of treatment | #1 |
Therapeutic exercise | decrease | childhood obesity | obese children | - | are the fundamentals of treatment | #2 |
Behavioral modification | decrease | childhood obesity | obese children | - | are the fundamentals of treatment | #3 |
Pharmacotherapy | decrease | childhood obesity | obese individuals who do not respond to the above measures and suffer from a serious comorbid condition | - | should be considered | #4 |
Bariatric surgery | decrease | childhood obesity | obese individuals who do not respond to the above measures and suffer from a serious comorbid condition | - | should be considered | #5 |
Most treatment programs | no change | childhood obesity | obese children | - | lead to a brief period of weight loss, followed by rapid re-accumulation of the lost weight after the termination of therapy | #6 |
Promoting a healthy diet | decrease | childhood obesity | children | - | can prevent | #7 |
Regular physical activity | decrease | childhood obesity | children | - | can prevent | #8 |
Lifestyle modification | decrease | childhood obesity | children | - | can prevent | #9 |
School and community programs that improve their children's nutritional status and physical activity | decrease | childhood obesity | children | - | should be encouraged | #10 |
BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity is an important and serious public health problem worldwide. OBJECTIVE: This article aims to familiarize physicians with the evaluation, management, and prevention of childhood. METHODS: A PubMed search was conducted in May, 2021, in Clinical Queries using the key terms "obesity" OR "obese". The search included clinical trials, randomized controlled trials, case-control studies, cohort studies, meta-analyses, observational studies, clinical guidelines, case reports, case series, and reviews. The search was restricted to English literature and children. The information retrieved from the above search was used in the compilation of the present article. RESULTS: Most obese children have exogenous obesity characterized by a growth rate for height above the 50th percentile, normal intelligence, normal genitalia, and lack of historical or physical evidence of an endocrine abnormality or a congenital syndrome. Obese children are at risk for dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obstructive sleep apnea, psychosocial disturbances, impaired quality of life, and shorter life expectancy. The multitude of serious comorbidities necessitates effective treatment modalities. Dietary modification, therapeutic exercise, and behavioral modification are the fundamentals of treatment. Pharmacotherapy and/or bariatric surgery should be considered for obese individuals who do not respond to the above measures and suffer from a serious comorbid condition. CONCLUSION: Childhood obesity, once established, is often refractory to treatment. Most treatment programs lead to a brief period of weight loss, followed by rapid re-accumulation of the lost weight after the termination of therapy. As such, preventive activity is the key to solving the problem of childhood obesity. Childhood obesity can be prevented by promoting a healthy diet, regular physical activity, and lifestyle modification. Parents should be encouraged to get involved in school and community programs that improve their children's nutritional status and physical activity.