CHILDREN OBESITY AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
Palavras-chave:
Childhood obesity, Physical activity, Quality of lifeResumo
CHILDHOOD OBESITY IS A DISEASE CHARACTERIZED BY AN INCREASE IN BODY FAT. IT IS CURRENTLY TREATED
AS ONE OF THE MAJOR PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEMS WORLDWIDE WITH A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON POPULATION
HEALTH, AS IT CAN LEAD TO CHRONIC NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES SUCH AS SYSTEMIC ARTERIAL
HYPERTENSION (SAH), TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS (T2DM), AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES. IN BRAZIL,
IT IS PRESENT IN DIFFERENT SOCIOECONOMIC GROUPS, BEING MORE COMMON IN THE UPPER SOCIAL CLASS.
THIS CONDITION IS INFLUENCED BY SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS THROUGH INCOME, EDUCATION, AND
OCCUPATION AND RESULTS IN SPECIFIC BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS THAT CAN AFFECT METABOLIC RATE, CALORIC
INTAKE, AND ENERGY EXPENDITURE. OBESITY CAN BE DEFINED AND CLASSIFIED AS EXCESS FAT IN ALL BODY
REGIONS, WHICH CAN BE CAUSED BY POOR EATING HABITS, ENDOCRINE-METABOLIC DISORDERS, OR GENETIC
ALTERATIONS. OVERWEIGHT CAN OCCUR AT ANY STAGE OF AN INDIVIDUAL'S LIFE, BUT IT MAINLY APPEARS IN
THE FIRST YEAR OF LIFE, BETWEEN 5 AND 6 YEARS OF AGE, AND DURING ADOLESCENCE. HOWEVER,
INTERVENTION SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT AT ANY STAGE OF LIFE TO PREVENT COMPLICATIONS ARISING FROM
EXCESS WEIGHT. THIS STUDY AIMS TO PROVIDE A THEORETICAL REFLECTION ON CHILDHOOD OBESITY AND
IDENTIFY THE GENERAL ASPECTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS CONDITION, HIGHLIGHTING EPIDEMIOLOGICAL,
ETIOLOGICAL, CONSEQUENCES, AND TREATMENT ASPECTS, CONSIDERING THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY. IT IS A LITERATURE REVIEW CONDUCTED IN THE SCIELO AND GOOGLE SCHOLAR DATABASES, WITH
STUDIES RANGING FROM 2018 TO 2023. IT CAN BE CONCLUDED THAT CHILDHOOD OBESITY IS CURRENTLY A
SERIOUS PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM WORLDWIDE. THERE ARE SEVERAL FACTORS THAT CAN LEAD TO OVERWEIGHT,
INCLUDING GENETIC FACTORS, POOR NUTRITION, AND SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE. THEREFORE, THE MANAGEMENT
AND PREVENTION OF CHILDHOOD OBESITY ARE IMPORTANT, AS IT CAN BE EASILY CONTROLLED IN THE VAST
MAJORITY OF CASES THROUGH CHANGES IN EATING HABITS AND INCREASED PHYSICAL EXERCISE. IT IS KNOWN
THAT OBESITY IS RELATED TO VARIOUS COMPLICATIONS AND INCREASED CHILDHOOD MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY,
AS WELL AS IN THE ADULT AGE GROUP. THEREFORE, IT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO MAKE AN ACCURATE
DIAGNOSIS AND PROVIDE PROPER TREATMENT, AS WELL AS TO IMPLEMENT PUBLIC POLICIES FOR THE
PREVENTION OF CHILDHOOD OBESITY.
Referências
PURCELL JQ, ET AL. DEFINITIONS, CLASSIFICATION, AND EPIDEMIOLOGY OF OBESITY. ENDOTEXT, 2018; 2(1):1-5
SOCIEDADE BRASILEIRA DE PEDIATRIA. ORIENTAÇÃO MANUAL DE OBESIDADE NA INFÂNCIA E ADOLESCÊNCIA, DEPARTAMENTO DE NUTROLOGIA, 2019; 3ª ED. DEPARTAMENTO DE NUTROLOGIA, 2019;
ABESO - ASSOCIAÇÃO BRASILEIRA PARA O ESTUDO DA OBESIDADE E DA SÍNDROME METABÓLICA. DIRETRIZES BRASILEIRAS DE OBESIDADE – ASSOCIAÇÃO BRASILEIRA PARA ESTUDO DA OBESIDADE E SÍNDROME METABÓLICA. 4ª ED. - ITAPEVI, SP, 2016.
