Obese children need early attention

Paediatricians need to act early to prevent and treat obesity in children that often begins at preschool.Sending children who have already gained much weight to a pediatric endocrinologist does little to help them shed excess pounds. Thus obese children need more than a visit to the doctor in order to lose weight.Researchers from the Women's and Children's Hospital of Buffalo, in New York found that parents of most obese children are obese themselves. Influenced by the adults around them it is hard for obese children to change her eating habits without asking their parents to change.

Teaching good eating and exercise habits to these children is essential, as once the child start a routine, it's very hard to break out of it. Obese children are likely to become obese adults, which puts them at risk of numerous diseases related to obesity that are already being seen in children, such as type 2 diabetes. To determine what can help obese children lose weight, the researchers reviewed the charts of 587 obese children who visited a pediatric endocrinologist, who treats childhood hormonal problems.

The medical records showed that 4 out of 5 children became obese before their sixth birthdays, and came to the endocrinologist an average of 4 years after gaining weight. More than half of children who took blood tests showed high levels of cholesterol and insulin, a sign they were at risk of diabetes. Half of mothers and more than half of fathers were also obese. More than one-third of children lost weight after visiting the endocrinologist, but only five lost enough weight that they no longer met the criteria for being obese.
Obese children visit endocrinologists because there is a probability that they might have a thyroid problem. In addition, the endocrinologist can counsel the child about obesity, and how to prevent diabetes. However, a one-time visit doesn't make an impact.

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