Obesity and Pediatric Fatty Liver: The Silent Epidemic and Significant Health Problem

Obesity and pediatric fatty liver related to modern lifestyle are getting epidemic characteristics and present the world public health problem. Fatty liver with obesity is especially important clinical entity which cautions on the possibility of chronic diseases development not only of the liver but the other organs as well. Fatty liver has the important influence on mental and physical development of children. Disease has asymptomatic clinical course so primary prevention and screening in early childhood are the best way to prevent the beginning and expansion of the disease. Primary prevention is focused on the entire population of children to enable them to adopt healthy lifestyles. To determine the frequency of obesity and fatty liver disease in children aged 6-14 years and the possibility of primary prevention.

Investigations were carried out in children ages between 6-14 years in two elementary schools in Gračanica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Anthropometric measurements of 1499 children were performed as well as the ultrasonic scan of the abdomen in 300 children.

BMI with percentile distribution indicates that 17% of children are overweight and 10% are obesity. 7% of children have fatty liver. 90% of children do not apply healthy diet. There are no school kitchens that apply the standard for a healthy diet of children of this school age. Only 20% of children are moderately physically active.

Fatty liver or steatosis occurs in a significant percentage of school age children. The implementation of the primary prevention program could largely prevent this trend and enable healthy growth and quality of life.