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Updated: Jul 30, 2025
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Child and adolescent obesity
Natalie B Lister1,2, Louise A Baur3,4,5, Janine F Felix6,7
1Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Insights
Child and adolescent obesity remains a significant global health challenge. Effective prevention and treatment require a comprehensive, family-based approach addressing lifestyle factors and policy initiatives.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Child and adolescent obesity prevalence is high in developed nations and rising in low- and middle-income countries.
- Obesity results from complex interactions between genetic, epigenetic, behavioral, environmental, and sociocultural factors influencing energy homeostasis and cognitive-emotional control.
- Obesity negatively impacts health-related quality of life and increases the risk of comorbidities like type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and depression, particularly in adolescents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current landscape of child and adolescent obesity, including its causes, consequences, and management strategies.
- To highlight the importance of a multi-component, family-based treatment approach for pediatric obesity.
- To emphasize the need for systemic prevention strategies and policy interventions to address health inequalities.
Main Methods:
- Literature review synthesizing current evidence on obesity prevalence, pathophysiology, comorbidities, and treatment.
- Analysis of factors contributing to obesity, including biological regulation systems (energy homeostasis, cognitive-emotional control) and environmental influences.
- Examination of current treatment modalities and prevention strategies, including lifestyle interventions, pharmacotherapy, bariatric surgery, and policy recommendations.
Main Results:
- Child and adolescent obesity is a persistent global issue with significant health consequences.
- Effective treatment necessitates a respectful, stigma-free, family-based approach targeting diet, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep.
- Adjunctive therapies, including intensive dietary interventions, pharmacotherapy, and bariatric surgery, can be beneficial for adolescents.
- Obesity prevention requires a comprehensive, whole-system approach with coordinated policy initiatives across government sectors.
- Interventions should prioritize feasibility, effectiveness, and the reduction of health disparities.
Conclusions:
- Child and adolescent obesity requires multifaceted interventions addressing biological, behavioral, and environmental factors.
- Integrated treatment and prevention strategies are crucial for improving health outcomes and reducing health inequalities.
- Policy-level changes and a whole-system approach are essential for long-term success in combating the obesity epidemic in young people.
Abstract:
The prevalence of child and adolescent obesity has plateaued at high levels in most high-income countries and is increasing in many low-income and middle-income countries. Obesity arises when a mix of genetic and epigenetic factors, behavioural risk patterns and broader environmental and sociocultural influences affect the two body weight regulation systems: energy homeostasis, including leptin and gastrointestinal tract signals, operating predominantly at an unconscious level, and cognitive-emotional control that is regulated by higher brain centres, operating at a conscious level. Health-related quality of life is reduced in those with obesity. Comorbidities of obesity, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, fatty liver disease and depression, are more likely in adolescents and in those with severe obesity. Treatment incorporates a respectful, stigma-free and family-based approach involving multiple components, and addresses dietary, physical activity, sedentary and sleep behaviours. In adolescents in particular, adjunctive therapies can be valuable, such as more intensive dietary therapies, pharmacotherapy and bariatric surgery. Prevention of obesity requires a whole-system approach and joined-up policy initiatives across government departments. Development and implementation of interventions to prevent paediatric obesity in children should focus on interventions that are feasible, effective and likely to reduce gaps in health inequalities.
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