Childhood Obesity

Welcome to Queen Margaret University's Current and Emerging Roles in Physiotherapy Practice project. This space was created by and for the students at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, UK. Please do not edit unless you are involved in this project, but please come back in the near future to check out new information!!

Original Editors - Alexander Dow, Andrea Civitarese, Lynne Turner, Alison O’Brien, Rachael Le Page, Courtney Ferguson

Top Contributors - Andrea Civitarese, Rachael Le Page, Lynne Turner, Kim Jackson, Lucinda hampton, Courtney Ferguson, Alison O' Brien, Alexander Dow and Rachael Lowe  

Aims

The goal of this page is to provide guidance and information for parents of overweight children, and to empower them to feel confident in managing childhood obesity.

Learning Outcomes

• Define childhood obesity and recognize its impact
• Recognize the benefits of physical activity and risks of inactivity
• Apply physical activity guidelines for children
• Define the role of physiotherapists in managing childhood obesity
• Apply management strategies for childhood obesity
• Identify local resources and physical activity opportunities for overweight or obese children and their families

Obesity Overview

What is Childhood Obesity?

For adults, body mass index (BMI) is the method that is most commonly used to diagnose obesity. This method uses an individual's height and weight to establish whether or not they fall within a healthy weight range. BMI ranges are listed below:

• Healthy weight: BMI = 18.5-24.9
• Overweight: BMI = 25-29.9
• Obese: BMI = 30-39.9
• Severely Obese: BMI = ≥40

In children, BMI is not used to diagnose obesity, as children's bodies are constantly changing. Therefore, to diagnose childhood obesity, paediatricians need to take many factors into consideration. Your child's doctor will first calculate which percentile of weight your child falls into. For example, if your child is in the 80th percentile for weight (based on BMI), this means that 80% of children of the same sex and age have a lower BMI. Along with this calculation, the paediatrician will take into consideration how your child is growing and developing, your family's history of obesity and related health problems (such as diabetes and heart disease), and your child's eating habits, activity levels, and general health. A diagnosis of childhood obesity will rely on all of these factors taken together, rather than BMI calculation alone.

The Problem

• 16% of children in Scotland age 7-11 and 15% age 12-15 are at risk of obesity (REFERENCE). This means that about 150,000 children are currently at risk for obesity.
• Children who live in deprived areas are less likely to be of a healthy weight (REFERENCE)
• Younger children are more likely than older children to meet physical activity guidelines (REFERENCE)
• Girls tend to have lower levels of activity than boys (REF)
• Children tend to consume food and drinks high in fat and/or sugar more often than adults (REF)

It's not all bad...

• 76% of children age 5-15 meet physical activity guidelines, which is an increase from 71% in 2008 (REF)
• 70% of children are considered to be a healthy weight
• Childhood obesity has declined from 17% to 14% since 2014

Physical Activity Guidelines

References

see adding references tutorial.