Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2015 Oct;62(5):1241-61.
doi: 10.1016/j.pcl.2015.05.013. Epub 2015 Jul 16.

Addressing Childhood Obesity: Opportunities for Prevention

Callie L Brown  1 , Elizabeth E Halvorson  2 , Gail M Cohen  3 , Suzanne Lazorick  4 , Joseph A Skelton  5
Affiliations
Review

Addressing Childhood Obesity: Opportunities for Prevention

Callie L Brown et al. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2015 Oct.

Abstract

The overweight and obesity epidemic among children and adolescents in the United States continues to worsen, with notable racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities. Risk factors for pediatric obesity include genetics; environmental and neighborhood factors; increased intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), fast-food, and processed snacks; decreased physical activity; shorter sleep duration; and increased personal, prenatal, or family stress. Pediatricians can help prevent obesity by measuring body mass index at least yearly and providing age- and development-appropriate anticipatory guidance to families. Public policies and environmental interventions aim to make it easier for children to make healthy nutrition and physical activity choices. Interventions focused on family habits and parenting strategies have also been successful at preventing or treating childhood obesity.

Keywords: Etiology; Genetics; Obesity; Overweight; Pediatric; Prevention; Risk factors.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Ecological Model of Childhood Obesity
Figure 1
Figure 1
Ecological Model of Childhood Obesity
Figure 2
Figure 2
Motivational Interviewing to Help Families Make Positive Changes to Prevent Obesity
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Kit BK, Flegal KM. Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the United States, 2011–2012. JAMA. 2014;311(8):806–814. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Kit BK, Flegal KM. Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the United States, 2011–2012. JAMA. 2014;311(8):806–814. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Skinner AC, Skelton JA. Prevalence and Trends in Obesity and Severe Obesity Among Children in the United States, 1999–2012. JAMA pediatrics. 2014 - PubMed
    1. Field AE, Cook NR, Gillman MW. Weight status in childhood as a predictor of becoming overweight or hypertensive in early adulthood. Obes Res. 2005;13(1):163–169. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Guo SS, Wu W, Chumlea WC, Roche AF. Predicting overweight and obesity in adulthood from body mass index values in childhood and adolescence. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002;76(3):653–658. - PubMed

Publication types