Hellas Cena
Pavia University, Italy
Title: Childhood obesity and dieting: risk factors for eating disorders
Biography
Biography: Hellas Cena
Abstract
Childhood obesity is a major public health issue worldwide. Its prevalence has reached epidemic proportions, and therefore combatting childhood obesity is a common goal among industrialized and developing countries. Classifying obesity as a chronic disease in children and adolescents is essential in order to increase societal awareness and individual consciousness, as well as implementing targeted actions, as recently written by the European Childhood Obesity Task.Since childhood obesity is a strong predictor not only of premature development of cardiovascular diseases and other comorbid conditions, but also of psychological distress, there is serious need for improving early diagnosis and intervention.
Increasing evidence shows that early onset obesity is not only a risk factor for metabolic complications in adulthood, but it increases the risk to develop eating disorders (EDs) during adolescence. Evidences highlight that childhood obesity and self-restrictive diets should be considered as two possible predisposing factors for the development of EDs. The prevalence of EDs and the delayed diagnosis of such pathologies suggest the necessity to increase awareness amongst clinicians who treat children with overweight and obesity.
A late diagnosis of EDs contributes to the chronicity and severity of the disease, leading to growth disorders and clinical complications over both the short and long terms.
An accurate nutritional assessment with an appropriate nutritional counseling may prevent ED onset and should be performed in all families of children with obesity.