Childhood obesity

Posted on 4 June 2013

Research shows that more than 17% of urban South African children between one and nine years of age are overweight. But too much TV and consuming high-kilojoule foods are only a few factors making our children fatter, says Dr Marelie Steenekamp, child health specialist at Mediclinic Milnerton.

How do I tell if my child is obese? Is just looking at her enough, or should it be formally diagnosed?
Your GP or paediatrician will probably make the initial diagnosis of childhood obesity and, if your child has complications from being obese, you’ll likely be referred to additional specialists to help manage these conditions. As part of regular well-child care, the doctor calculates your child’s body mass index (BMI) and determines where it falls on the national BMI-for-age growth chart. The BMI helps indicate if your child is overweight for her age and height. Using the growth chart, your doctor determines how she compares with other children of the same sex and age. The doctor may also order blood tests, including cholesterol, fasting blood sugar and tests to determine if there are any hormonal imbalances.

Once diagnosed, what’s next in terms of treatment available?
Treatment usually includes changes in your child’s diet and level of physical activity, but prescription medication will only be prescribed to address other conditions, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. In children under seven, the overall goal of treatment may be weight maintenance rather than weight loss, allowing the child to add centimeters in height but not kilograms, causing BMI-for-age to drop over time into a healthier range. For children aged seven and older, weight loss is recommended – slow and steady, so anywhere from about 0,5kg a week to 0,5kg a month, depending on your child’s condition. The methods for maintaining your child’s current weight or losing weight are the same: she needs to eat a healthy diet and increase her physical activity. Success depends largely on your commitment to helping your child make these changes. Think of eating habits and exercise habits as two sides of the same coin: when you consider one, you also need to consider the other.

What long-term life effects can childhood obesity contribute to if left unattended?
Your child could develop Type 2 diabetes, caused in part by a poor diet but which can often be reversed by eating healthier and exercising. Then there’s metabolic syndrome, which is a cluster of conditions that puts your child at risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol and excess abdominal fat. High cholesterol and high blood pressure can lead to a heart attack or stroke later in life. Asthma, sleep and breathing problems are another complication of excess weight, as is early puberty or menstruation, triggered by hormone imbalances. But apart from physical complications, clinically obese children also suffer from low self-esteem and bullying, behavioural and learning problems brought on by stress, and anxiety which can lead to depression.

The information provided in this article was correct at the time of publishing. At Mediclinic we endeavour to provide our patients and readers with accurate and reliable information, which is why we continually review and update our content. However, due to the dynamic nature of clinical information and medicine, some information may from time to time become outdated prior to revision.