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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffAlthough there are some genetic and hormonal causes of childhood obesity, most of the time it's caused by kids eating too much and exercising too little.
Far less common than lifestyle issues are genetic diseases and hormonal disorders that can make a child more likely to be obese. These diseases, such as Prader-Willi syndrome and Cushing's syndrome, affect a very small number of children. Most of the time, eating and exercise habits play a larger role.
- About BMI for children and teens. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/childrens_BMI/about_childrens_BMI.html. Accessed Feb. 2, 2010.
- Flegal KM, et al. Characterizing extreme values of body mass index-for-age by using the 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2009;90:1314.
- Ford ES, et al. Concentrations of low density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol among children and adolescents in the United States. Circulation. 2009;119:1108.
- The fourth report on the diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of high blood pressure in children and adolescents. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/heart/hbp/hbp_ped.pdf. Accessed Feb. 2, 2010.
- Barlow SE, et al. Expert committee recommendations regarding the prevention, assessment and treatment of child and adolescent overweight and obesity: Summary report. Pediatics 2007;120:S164.
- Spear BA, et al. Recommendations for treatment of child and adolescent overweight and obesity. Pediatrics. 2007;120:S254.
- Expert committee recommendations on the assessment, prevention, and treatment of child and adolescent overweight and obesity. American Medical Association. http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/433/ped_obesity_recs.pdf. Accessed Feb. 2, 2010.
- Schilling PL, et al. National trends in adolescent bariatric surgical procedures and implications for surgical centers of excellence. Journal of the American College of Surgeons. 2008;206:1.
- Dunican KC, et al. Pharmacotherapeutic options for overweight adolescents. Annals of Pharmacotherapy. 2007;41:1445.
- Woo T. Pharmacotherapy and surgery treatment for the severely obese adolescent. Journal of Pediatric Health Care. 2009;23:206.
- Xenical (prescribing information). Nutley, NJ.: Roche Pharmaceuticals; 2008. http://www.gene.com/gene/products/information/xenical/pdf/pi.pdf. Accessed Feb. 5, 2010.
- Meridia (sibutramine): Market withdrawal due to risk of serious cardiovascular events. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm228830.htm. Accessed Oct. 8, 2010.
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