The Problem of Obesity and Integrated Weight Management Approach in Children and Adolescents

Abstract

This study was undertaken to explore the causes and necessary measures of prevention, defining the integrated management approach to address the alarming issue of obesity that has been confronted with children and adolescents world over notably in developed nations and are also stretching in Pakistan among economically sound families. The rate of obesity has significantly increased in the developed nations such as in the USA and Australia during 1985 to 1995 with prevalence of over weight doubling and obesity trebling. In the recent years, Pakistan is also going through this alarming issue, developing at faster rate among economically sound families causing health problems to their children, needing immediate attention to over come this dangerous problem confronted to their child. Scientifically Body Mass Index (BMI), generally referred to standard scale for age and sex, used for practical measurement and monitoring overweight and obesity in children and adolescents as medical research described it as one of the root cause of serious health problems in adult life that may result in Type-2 diabetes, hypertension dyslipidemia and steatohepatitis heart disease, which keeps the life at total risk. World Health Organization has also termed it as one of the major concerns of the society, though blatantly visible, but not addressed adequately world over and has become a most neglected public health problem.