Manual for Childhood Obesity

Obesity is a state of excess body fat or adipose tissue which occurs due to accumulation of excess energy, i.e. when energy intake chronically exceeds energy expenditure. Childhood obesity carries a higher risk to chronic diseases in adulthood. In addition, overweight children may show early signs of long-lasting disease without being aware of the problem and hence aggravating the expected disease outcome. The importance of early prevention and management of childhood obesity rises from the fact that obese children are more likely to become obese adults compared to children with normal BMI. Furthermore, nowadays obese children are getting affected by chronic illnesses that were previously only observed in adults like diabetes mellitus, hypertension and heart diseases. Early onset and prolonged course of these diseases are frequently results in more severe complications especially if remaining undiagnosed until adulthood, thus prevention of childhood obesity can be very rewarding and worthwhile, providing better chances for reducing long-term complications.