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April 17, 2007 -- Results of a recent study suggest that childhood
and adolescent obesity is more dangerous than most people have previously
thought.
Research conducted at the Yale University School of
Medicine and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center found
that as many as half of obese adolescents had symptoms of the serious
diseases collectively called metabolic syndrome.
"Metabolic syndrome occurs when you have several disorders
of the body's metabolism occurring at the same time — such
as obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol," says Kimball
Medical Center pediatric endocrinologist Malcolm Schwartz, D.O.,
who notes that this syndrome affects at least one out of every five
overweight people. “For overweight children, the more weight
they gain, the greater the risk of developing metabolic syndrome,
which is common in adults, but until recently has not been studied
in young people.”
Metabolic syndrome — also known as "insulin
resistance syndrome" and "syndrome X"— is serious, leading
to complications including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease
even in children and adolescents.
“In the past these diseases were usually diagnosed
in middle age,” Dr. Schwartz says. “Early onset of these
diseases can have significant lifelong adverse consequences for
affected adolescents."
Dr. Schwartz and fellow pediatric endocrinologist
Frank P. Barrows, D.O., manage the pediatric obesity program at
The Women’s & Children’s Specialty Center, Lakewood,
and The Children’s Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center in
Long Branch. The program provides a blame-free, supportive environment
to help obese children and their families adopt healthier lifestyles.
Dr. Schwartz notes that obesity
tends to "track" throughout life, meaning that its presence at any
age will increase the risk of persistence at subsequent ages. While
most obese infants will not remain so, they are at increased risk
of becoming obese children, who are in turn more likely to become
obese adolescents, who are then very likely to remain obese as adults,
particularly if at least one parent is obese, he says.
According to Dr. Schwartz, the underlying conditions
leading to metabolic syndrome can be managed and reversed with the
help of parents, medical intervention and education.
"Reducing childhood obesity with diet, activity, and
behavior modification, can help avoid type 2 diabetes and heart
disease," he says.
Causes of obesity are complex, but a simple explanation
is that a child takes in more calories than his body uses, according
to Dr. Schwartz. Factors that may contribute to obesity include
a genetic tendency, too little activity, eating too many calories
and emotional factors that promote overeating.
“Obesity is classically defined as a body mass
index over the 95th percentile for the age of the child, a body
weight of 20 percent above what is considered an ideal body weight
for age, height and body build is suggestive of a diagnosis of obesity,”
Dr. Schwartz says. “It is a problem that develops over time
and is not easily treated. To date, there are no medications approved
for use in obese children. However, medications may be used
if there is a significant chance of a child developing severe insulin
resistance and Diabetes Mellitus.”
Through the pediatric obesity program, the health
care team — including the physician, nurse, a psychologist,
social worker, and dietitian — develop a treatment plan that
offers a combined approach of nutrition, exercise and behavior changes,
all with family support.
“An increase in activity is an important target
for behavior modification, and the family should set a weekly activity
goal for the child and help determine the reward for reaching the
goal,” says Dr. Schwartz, who notes that family television-viewing
patterns should be reviewed and modified accordingly.
“It is important to involve the entire
family when treating obesity in children,” he adds. “It
has been demonstrated that the long-term effectiveness of a weight
control program is significantly improved when the program is directed
at the parents as well as the child, rather than aimed at the child
alone.”
Noting that one of the most damaging effects of obesity
in children is psychological Dr. Schwartz adds that the damage to
a child’s psyche should be another strong motivating factor
for parents.
“One of the worst side effects of obesity in
children is low self-esteem, because of teasing from other children,”
he says. “Because obese children may suffer life-long emotional
as well as physical consequences, it is imperative for physicians
to discuss prevention and treatment with parents.”
To learn more about the Pediatric Obesity Program,
call 732-923-6085.
- Respect your child's appetite: children do not need to finish
every bottle or meal.
- Avoid pre-prepared and sugared foods when possible.
- Limit the amount of high-calorie foods kept in the home.
- Provide a healthy diet, calories derived from fat and concentrated
carbohydrates.
- Provide ample fiber in the child's diet.
- Skim milk may safely replace whole milk at 2 years of age.
- Do not provide food for comfort or as a reward.
- Do not offer sweets in exchange for a finished meal.
- Limit amount of television viewing.
- Encourage active play and exercise.
- Establish regular family activities such as walks, ball games
and other outdoor activities.
CONTACT: Kristine A. Brown
Director of Public Relations
(732) 557-3902
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