Pediatric Endocrinology

Pediatric Obesity

• Endocrinology Overview
• Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders
• Thyroid Disorders
• Short Stature & Growth Disorders
• Precocious (Early) Puberty
• Delayed puberty
• Pediatric Obesity
• Adrenal Problems
• Hormonal Imbalance
• Pediatric Menstrual Problems

Obesity in America trends over the last two decades suggest that the
incidence of obesity in children has doubled and obesity in adolescents has
tripled! In fact, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey (NHANES), 31.9% of adolescents and children rank as overweight and 16.3%
are obese.

Obesity Measurement

How is obesity measured? In children over two years old, Body Mass Index
(BMI) is used to assess child obesity. This calculation uses a child’s height
and weight to determine a reliable indicator of body fat.

Referred to as BMI-for-age, this measurement is then plotted on a BMI-for-age
growth chart. This allows for a percentile ranking. Children and adolescents are
considered overweight with a BMI that ranges more than the 85% percentile but
less than the 95th percentile. They’re considered obese if their BMI plots
greater than the 95th percentile.

Cause of Obesity

Child obesity can be the result of genetic and hormonal disorders. But these
diseases, like Prader-Willi and Cushing syndrome affect a small amount of children.

Most childhood obesity, like obesity in adults, is a result of eating too
much and exercising too little. If children add the necessary nutrients and
calories needed for their growth, that’s fine. However if they eat more calories
than they need, they’ll gain weight over and above what’s needed to support
their growth.

Ethnic and Gender Differences in Pediatric Obesity

As suggested before, child obesity is a significant problem in America.
However, the data from NHANES indicates ethnic and gender disparities:

• Mexican American girls and Non-Hispanic black girls are more likely to have
  a high BMI than non-Hispanic white girls
• BMI for Mexican American boys are likely to be higher than Non-Hispanic
  white boys.

Obesity Pediatric Problems

Overweight and obese children become at risk for many health problems. These
can be immediate concerns and/or turn into long term, serious health issues.

Some of the problems include asthma, sleep apnea, joint pain, high blood
pressure and type 2 diabetes.

In addition to the physical health concerns, obese children often have lower
self esteem and lack the self confidence of their more normal size peers. This
has been linked to poor school performance, depression and even having fewer friends.

That’s why it’s important to get the child on a pediatric obesity program
treatment program as soon as possible. A wide variety of obesity help is
available to assist in doing so.

Obesity Treatment

A comprehensive pediatric obesity intervention including a treatment program
needs to be put into place to help the obese child gain control of their weight.

A program will include diet and an exercise program that’s closely monitored
until the weight is in proportion to height.