Management of obesity in children

Obesity and overweight is the most prevalent nutritional disorder among children and adolescents in the United States and worldwide. Approximately 21-24% of American children and adolescents are overweight, and another 16-18% is obese; More than one billion people worldwide are affected by obesity. The study was a case-control study. • Overweight/obesity were more common among males, no significant correlation was found with sex. • There was highly significant protective effect of breastfeeding against development of obesity. • Limitation of physical activity and watching TV for > 2 hours duration is a significant risk factor for overweight/obesity. • There was no significant positive correlation between birth weight and/or history of prematurity and overweight/obesity. • There was a significant correlation observed among paternal education, formula feeding, number of meals or snacks/day, and frequency and amount of consumption of saturated fat, dairy products, fruits/vegetables and grains with overweight/obesity. • There was a significant correlation between high income and overweight/obesity. • Although psychological effect was obvious on children in the study, this could not be assessed statistically.