Common approach to childhood obesity in Japan

Abstract

Although the prevalence of childhood obesity is plateauing, it remains a social concern. The Japan Society for the Study of Obesity devised criteria for obesity disease as a morbid state that requires medical treatment in 2002. Moreover, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced diagnostic criteria for childhood metabolic syndrome in 2010 because of the increasing number of children with lifestyle-related diseases. The treatment of obesity needs to be prioritized, and three principles, other than behavioral therapy, have been introduced in this study for the general medical treatment of obesity without underlying diseases: (1) diet therapy, (2) exercise, and (3) no pharmacotherapy. However, preventing obesity is more important than its treatment. A previous study reported the tracking of an overweight status from infancy; therefore, it is important to prevent infants from becoming overweight. The concept of the developmental origins of health and disease has been attracting more attention in recent years; however, preventative measures prior to birth should also be considered to reduce the incidence of obesity. Although the methods used to approach the treatment of childhood obesity change with differences in race or lifestyle, those who are engaged in the medical treatment of childhood obesity worldwide can contribute to its treatment and prevention by a mutual exchange of information.

Tracking of clustered metabolic syndrome risk factor in Japanese children: 3-year follow-up study

“…Although MetS occurs less often in children, several studies have established a prevalence of MetS in approximately 3.0%-4.0% of children and adolescents [7][8][9] . These phenomena have been reported in Japanese children [10][11][12] . Furthermore, in previous cross-sectional studies, the risk for MetS has been reported to be associated with fatness and aerobic fitness in European 13) , American 14) , Canadian 15) , Australian 16) , and Asian children [17][18][19] .…”

Childhood obesity: rapid weight gain in early childhood and subsequent cardiometabolic risk

“…The most common cause of obesity in children is a positive energy balance due to caloric intake higher than caloric expenditure combined with a genetic predisposition for weight gain ( 1 ). While the rate of increase in the overall prevalence of childhood obesity in the developed world has slowed or plateaued ( 2 , 3 , 4 ), the most severe and recalcitrant form of obesity has increased progressively ( 5 ). In the United States in 1999–2004, almost 4% of children and adolescents of 2–19 yr of age were classified as severely obese, and as recently as 2011–2012, the prevalence of severe obesity increased to approximately 6% in this age group ( 5 , 6 ).…”

Prospective study of dietary energy density and weight gain in a Japanese adult population

“…Worldwide, obesity and overweight are highly prevalent risk factors for a number of chronic conditions, including diabetes, CVD and cancer ( 1 ) Despite its lower incidence in Japan (as compared with other countries), obesity still raises public-health concerns here, especially towards male adults, children and adolescents ( 2 , 3 ) . Therefore, there has been much interest in exploring possible determinants of weight gain.…”