New insights into the field of children and adolescents’ obesity: the European perspective

Flodmark, Carl‐Erik; Lissau, Inge; Moreno, Luís A.; Pietrobelli, Angelo; Widhalm, Kurt

doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0802787

Cited by 201 publications

(182 citation statements)

References 62 publications

(57 reference statements)

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“…Greater public and professional understanding and use of the BMI for age is therefore vital. Evidence based guidelines and expert committee recommendations have repeatedly recommended that the BMI for age should be the basis of our definitions of paediatric overweight and obesity, 6,9,11,22 and this should, in time, increase its use. Future research might lead to improvements in diagnosis using more sophisticated measures, 1 but the BMI for age is deservedly well established as the basis of our obesity diagnosis and definitions at present.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diagnostic accuracy of the BMI for age in paediatrics

Reilly

2006

Int J Obes

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Must and Anderson,1 in this issue of the journal, have described the basis of body mass index (BMI) for age for the assessment of weight status in children and adolescents. The aims of this short article are to summarise the evidence base on the diagnostic accuracy of BMI, and to expand on what we achieve when defining paediatric obesity on the basis of a high BMI for age. A high BMI for age is not 'obesity' (a high body fat content associated with increased morbidity), per se but a diagnostic test for obesity. Similarly, in adults a BMI>30 kg/m2 is not obesity, but a positive diagnostic test for obesity. It is also widely stated that 'BMI does not predict body fat content accurately'. This is true,2, 3, 4, 5 but should not be used to damn the diagnostic ability of BMI because it is not directly relevant to the issue of diagnosis of obesity. When diagnosing or defining obesity, we do not need to estimate body fat content precisely; rather we simply need to establish with confidence that any child defined as obese has a high body fat content relative to his/her peers. There are two main components to the issue of diagnostic accuracy: how well does a high BMI for age diagnose the fattest children in the population? Are children at high BMI for age at greater risk of morbidity than their peers at lower BMI for age

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diagnostic accuracy of the BMI for age in paediatrics

Reilly

2006

Int J Obes

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“…Without intervention, they warn that 90% of the UK's children could be overweight by 2050 (NHS, 2008). Childhood obesity has been shown to lower children's quality of life, to cause serious health consequences (Waters, 2011;Tsiros et al, 2009) and is also a highly influential determinant of adult obesity (Biro and Wein, 2010;Flodmark et al 2004;Reilly and McDowell, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the relationship between childhood obesity and proximity to the coast: A rural/urban perspective

et al. 2016

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HighlightsThis study examines the relationship between childhood obesity and coastal proximity.Results indicate that childhood obesity prevalence is lower in coastal England.However this relationship is apparent outside of, but not within, urban conurbations.Future policy initiatives could focus on improving coastal access for children. ABSTRACTChildhood obesity is one of the 21 st century's most serious global health challenges.Research suggests that better access to 'greenspace' (e.g. parks) may encourage physical activity and reduce the risk of obesity amongst children. We extend earlier work by considering childhood obesity in relation to proximity to the coast, using data from England's National Child Measurement Programme. Results suggest that although the overall prevalence of childhood obesity is slightly lower at the coast (-0.68 percentage points comparing <1km to >20km, p<0.001), the relationship depends on area type. Specifically, although a coastal proximity gradient (lower obesity rates nearer the coast) was found for rural areas and smaller cities and towns, it was not present among large urban conurbations (interaction p-value <0.001). Coastal environments and access to them are changing in many areas, and research to explore potential impacts on child health is warranted.

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“…Similarly, Flodmark et al 1 suggest, without the use of a model, that there are six levels that should each be considered when addressing a preventative programme for childhood obesity.…”

Section: Determinants Of Health Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The present review focuses on the increasing prevalence of childhood primary obesity, a condition caused by chronic energy imbalance due to excess energy intake and/or insufficient energy expenditure (as opposed to the rare instances of secondary obesity, which can occur due to endocrine problems (for example, Cushing's syndrome, hypothyroidism) or genetic abnormalities (for example, Down's syndrome, Prader -Willi syndrome)) 1 . What has changed in society and behavioural patterns in recent years to warrant the rapid rise in the prevalence of childhood obesity that is currently evident?…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The aetiology of childhood obesity: a review

Procter

2007

Nutr. Res. Rev.

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Whilst the prevention of childhood obesity is the only viable, enduring, cost-effective solution to the obesity epidemic, effective methods for it remain elusive. Furthermore, strategies to influence obesogenic environments remain relatively unexplored. In order to be able to develop powerful population-level interventions and public health policies to prevent childhood obesity, it is important to understand its aetiology and those environments that are most amenable to measurable change. First, the present paper considers why we should be concerned about obesity in children, from both the perspective of the increased health risk to the individual and the high economic cost of treatment of obesity and related diseases, highlighting why the prevention of childhood obesity is important. Next, the determinants of health behaviour and the obesogenic environment are explored, which helps us to understand why the aetiology is so complex and that potential causal factors should not be considered in isolation, as the interaction between these factors is also important. The paper then considers the multi-factorial aetiology of childhood obesity and the rationale for the increasing trends in obesity that are evident, in order to understand what is changing in society and our children's behaviour that is triggering the positive energy balance leading to obesity. The review emphasises the need for multi-level approaches if we truly want to prevent childhood obesity. It also serves to highlight that there is a need to extend the current research base in order to build a well-founded framework to form the basis of a strategy for the prevention of childhood obesity.Aetiology of childhood obesity: Prevention of obesity: Obesogenic environments

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New insights into the field of children and adolescents’ obesity: the European perspective

Cited by 201 publications

References 62 publications

Diagnostic accuracy of the BMI for age in paediatrics

Diagnostic accuracy of the BMI for age in paediatrics

Exploring the relationship between childhood obesity and proximity to the coast: A rural/urban perspective

The aetiology of childhood obesity: a review

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