Incidence and consequences of childhood obesity

Abstract

Introduction: according to the World Health Organization (WHO) (1), obesity is “a chronic disease characterized by excess fat in the body. A child is considered obese when his weight exceeds 20% of his ideal, while in an adult it is when the body mass index is greater than 30 kg/m²”. Objective: to describe the incidence of childhood obesity worldwide and in different geographic regions, using the data collected by PRISMA 2020. Method: a systematic review was carried out using the PRISMA method (5) in articles published in the period from 2016-2020, in the PubMed and Scopus databases. The search was carried out in the period from November 2023 to January 2024. Results: regarding the consequences of childhood obesity, it explored the effects on physical health and found that obese children have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and pathological alterations such as diabetes. In addition, they highlighted the importance of early intervention to prevent long-term complications. Conclusions: the incidence of childhood obesity is a major global problem, with important consequences for the physical and psychological health of children. These results support the need to implement effective policies and programs that address the determinants of childhood obesity, fostering healthy environments and promoting active and balanced lifestyles from childhood.