Obesity and overweight in children, a public health issue

Overweight and obesity in children are increasing. This is one of the biggest challenges for public health in the 21st century. The percentage of overweight children increased from 3% in 1965 to 16% in 2000 1.

THE MAIN CAUSES OF OBESITY AND OVERWEIGHT IN CHILDREN

The overweight and obesity of the child are mainly explained by an increase in food intake and a decrease in energy expenditure. The caloric intake by the food being superior to the caloric expenses, the body fat increases.

Our lifestyle is more and more sedentary and the diet is often unbalanced with intakes of added fat and sugars often exceeding the recommended values.

Metabolic, genetic, psychological and social factors can also add to this imbalance and promote weight gain.

HOW TO DETECT EXCESS WEIGHT?

Overweight and obesity are defined by the WHO (World Health Organization) as “an abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat that poses a health risk“.

In children, overweight can be difficult to detect. However, some tools such as body mass index (BMI) and corpulence curves are available to monitor the corpulence of an individual.

In children, baseline BMI values ​​vary physiologically according to age. Thus, it is not possible to refer, as in adults, to a single BMI reference value. The French corpulence curves, present in the health books, thus complement the BMI. Some websites include data such as the site www.imc.fr .

Regular follow-up by your health care professional is recommended, he / she will be able to analyze your child's overweight data and give you the appropriate advice.

1 INPES (National Institute of Prevention and Education for Health), Assessing and Monitoring the Corpulence of Children, 2011

Source: Lescuyer Laboratory