Obesity in Children Flashcards
What is the most common cause of obesity in childhood?
Lifestyle factors
Who are more likely to be obese - boys or girls?
Girls
What race are most likely to be obese in childhood?
Asian child - 4x more likely than white children
What are some consequences of obesity in children?
- Orthopaedic problems: slipped upper femoral epiphyses, Blount’s disease (a development abnormality of the tibia resulting in bowing of the legs), musculoskeletal pains
- Psychological consequences: poor self-esteem, bullying
- Sleep apnoea
- Benign intracranial hypertension
- Long-term consequences: increased incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension and ischaemic heart disease
Apart from lifestyle factors, what are some other causes of obesity in childhood?
- Growth hormone deficiency
- Hypothyroidism
- Down’s syndrome
- Cushing’s syndrome
- Prader-Willi syndrome
What do we need to use to make an accurate assessment for obesity in children?
BMI percentile charts
Which percentile charts should we use?
The UK 1990 BMI charts
They give age and gender specific information
According to NICE, when should we offer tailored clinical intervention?
When BMI at 91st centile or above
According to NICE, when should we assess for comorbidities?
When the BMI is at 98th centile or above
