Obesidad infantil: riesgo inminente de complicaciones a largo plazo, una revisión bibliográfica

Abstract

Introduction: Childhood obesity is a public health problem caused by excessive consumption of energy-dense foods, coupled with a lack of physical activity and an increase in sedentary actions. Complications are irreversible and are caused by insulin resistance, resulting in cardiorespiratory, metabolic, digestive, orthopedic, social, cancer, etc. alterations. For prevention, changes and improvements in lifestyles are recommended. Objectives: the main long-term biopsychosocial complications that childhood obesity entails, in addition to identifying the risk factors and main preventive strategies. Methodology: descriptive study based on a systematic investigation using information taken from journals, theses and scientific articles, published in the last 6 years, with topics related to childhood overweight and obesity. Results: Obesity is the excess of fat that a person has, evaluated through the weightheight relationship. Risk factors can be prenatal and postnatal. The prevalence has increased considerably in recent years worldwide by 20%, with a predominance in females. The main complications can be cardiovascular, dermatological, metabolic, gastrointestinal, orthopedic, pulmonary, neurological, psychological and social disorders and even cancerous, generally caused by insulin resistance. Conclusion: The comorbidities caused by obesity in the pediatric age and adolescence include anomalies that are irreversible in the long term, for which prevention with changes in lifestyles and elimination of sedentary actions is important