Height and Growth Velocity in Children and Adolescents Undergoing Obesity Treatment: A Prospective Cohort Study

Pediatric obesity affects endocrine conditions, which may alter growth.

This work aimed to investigate the effect of obesity severity and obesity treatment outcome on growth.

This prospective cohort study included children (aged 3-18 years) enrolled in the Swedish Childhood Obesity Treatment Register (BORIS) (1998-2020). Obesity was categorized as class I and class II obesity. Obesity treatment outcome was measured as body mass index (BMI) z score changes and categorized into good (BMI z score reduction of ≥0.25), intermediate, and poor (increasing BMI z score). Height for age z score, final height, and growth velocity were compared between class I and class II obesity. Further, the effect of obesity treatment outcome on growth velocity during 2-year follow-up was assessed.

A total of 27 997 individuals (mean age 10.2 ± 3.6 years) were included. Individuals with class II obesity were on average taller than those with class I obesity during childhood. Among males, reduced growth spurt was observed in class I obesity, and even absent in class II obesity. Females exhibited a similar but less pronounced pattern. Good obesity treatment outcome yielded lower growth velocity at ages 3 to 9 years but higher growth velocity at ages 10 to 13 years compared to poor treatment outcome.

Obesity severity is positively associated with height and growth velocity in childhood. A hampered growth spurt during puberty should be anticipated, particularly in adolescents with severe obesity. Therefore no difference in final height between class I and class II obesity is expected. Successful obesity treatment does not harm, but rather normalizes, the growth velocity pattern.