UNAIR NEWS – Obesity may occur in adults and children. Childhood obesity poses a risk of metabolic syndrome between the ages of 13 and 18.
The risks include metabolic diseases like diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease (coronary artery disease), high cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia), and high blood pressure (hypertension).
Causes of adolescent obesity
Universitas Airlangga pediatric expert Nuril Widjaja revealed that a study which has been conducted on adolescents aged 13 to 18 in Surabaya and Sidoarjo proved that 52 percent of obese adolescents are at risk of metabolic syndrome.
Obesity is caused by multiple factors, including environment, sedentary lifestyle, abnormal changes in body physiology, metabolic disorders, and psychological factors. Besides, genetics also play an important part in obesity inheritance in the family.
“If one or both parents have a history of obesity, it increases the risk of the child becoming obese,” Nuril said.
Clinical symptoms
Some clinical symptoms of childhood obesity are a round face, chubby cheeks, double chin, short neck, enlarged chest, swollen breasts, and increased body shape.
“Some symptoms are protruding belly with the round abdominal wall and chubby cheeks with round face. Excessive body fat in the belly, thighs, and arms,” she added.
Clinical diagnosis can be made using anthropometric measurements based on weight and height. Obesity in children under the age of 5 is diagnosed when the weight-for-height ratio exceeds +3 standard deviations (SD). For children aged 5 and above, the CDC body mass index-for-age percentile charts are used, and obesity is typically indicated when the BMI-for-age is above the 95 percentile.
“For 0 to 2 years babies and 2 to 5 toddlers with increased curve point for weight-for-height. Exceeding +1 to +2 standard deviation is categorized as overweight. Exceeding +3 standard deviation is categorized as obese,” Nuril said.
Early prevention
The Faculty of Medicine (FK) of UNAIR lecturer stated that obesity prevention could be done according to the children’s age. For babies aged 0 to 2 years through exclusive breastfeeding, and at the age of 6 months, parents can introduce solid foods introduction, it should not be delayed. It is important to follow appropriate feeding practices and establish a proper feeding pattern for the child.
“Set the feeding schedule according to the guidelines, including 3 main meals, 2 snacks, and 5-6 formula milk or breast milk for 6-8 months babies,” she said.
“For 9-11 months babies, 4-5 times of breast milk or formula milk per day. Once they are in 12 months or more, give the milk 3-4 times a day,” she added.
Solid food must be given alongside formula milk when babies are 6 months. It is generally recommended not to exceed 600-700 ml of formula milk per day for children aged 6 months and above.
“During the age of 2-5 years, it is important to encourage increased fiber intake for children as fat cells begin to multiply rapidly,” Nuril said.
Children’s health must be monitored regularly to detect any abnormality. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the weight and height growth for children above 5 years. If deviations from the growth curve indicate a risk of being overweight or obese, it is important to adjust the eating pattern according to the feeding rules.
“Three main meals, more animal protein, and fibers. For snacks, eat high-fiber fruits like apples, pears, and papaya. Avoid durian, mango, and sugary food like ice cream, candy, and chocolate. Sugary drinks like tea and syrup should be limited to once or twice a week. For obese children and adolescents (above 5 years of age), the target for weight loss is typically around 500 grams per week,” she said.
Traffic light diet for obese children
For obese children, parents should use a traffic light diet to determine their food consumption. The types of food based on color can also influence the content of calories, vitamins, sugar, etc. Green-colored foods usually contain low calories, adequate vitamins, and low fat. Red-colored foods contain high calories, low vitamins, and high saturated fat.
Therefore, parents must pay attention to the types of food consumed by obese children to reduce their weight. Besides, doing exercise for 30 minutes a day will also help.
“For obese children and adolescents (above 5 years of age), a target weight loss of 500 grams per week can be pursued. One of the recommended exercises is medium intensity aerobics to strengthen their muscle and bone,” she recommended.
Author: Monika Astria Br Gultom
Editor: Feri Fenoria
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