[Initial descriptive analysis of 200 obese adolescents in an adolescent care unit]

Common obesity is a frequent reason for outpatient visits to adolescent clinics. Its high risk of persistence or progression into adulthood is well known. This article is a study of 200 clinical charts of obese adolescents that visited our clinic. The physical, metabolic, psychological, and social characteristics of these patients when they first started their follow-up are described. Body image disturbance and the everyday psychosocial impact of obesity were the most frequent reasons for the first visit. Two-thirds of the adolescent girls had already had unsuccessful follow-ups by other teams or doctors. The average age was 14.5 years and the average body mass index z-score was above 7.4. They suffered from musculoskeletal or respiratory disorders but had few metabolic complications at that stage. Various personal or family psychological and social characteristics were frequently observed as well as certain types of eating disorders. This data may be useful in establishing different profiles that could be used to adapt obese patient care for adolescents.