Childhood Obesity: Contemporary Issues and Challenges

Childhood obesity refers to a state in which a child's health or well-being is harmed by the presence of excess fat in the body. The methods to identify and evaluate body fat are problematic and due to this reason, BMI is frequently used to diagnose the presence and extent of obesity. The prevalence of obesity in children varies by gender and sex. The longer a child remains obese or overweight; the more likely it is that the child will grow up to be obese with all the associated morbidities. Children are exposed to a variety of social, nutritional and obesogenic environmental risks influencing their health throughout the life. Child obesity can be managed with physical activity and dietary changes. These play a significant role in ensuring a child's health and in maintaining the nutritional level, and diet patterns and quality. This book explores all the contemporary issues and challenges related to childhood obesity in the present day scenario. It strives to provide a fair idea about obesity in children and to help develop a better understanding of the latest advances in its clinical management. This book is appropriate for students seeking detailed information in this area as well as for experts.