International Conference on Childhood Obesity & Child Development August 29-30, 2016 Atlanta, USA

Obesity results from disproportionately high energy intake relative to energy expenditure. Many therapeutic strategies have focused on the intake side of the equation, including pharmaceutical targeting of appetite and digestion. An alternative approach is to increase energy expenditure through physical activity or adaptive thermogenesis. 

A supplement from the Ganoderma lucidum mushroom slowed the pace of weight gain by apparently altering bacteria inside the digestive system of mice. Chinese medicine has used a number of different mushrooms to treat a variety of conditions over thousands of years. One of these is called reishi, or Ganoderma lucidum, which is believed to improve health and lifespan.

Obese children have health problems that used to be seen only in adults. When these problems begin in childhood, they often become worse in adulthood. A child who is overweight or obese is also more likely to have problems such as: Low self-esteem, Poor grades in school, Depression. The prevalence of morbid obesity has risen sharply in recent years, even among paediatric patients. 

In addition to the imbalance between energy intake and expenditure, sedentary lifestyle, a diet high in saturated fats and sugars, and genetic predisposition, many other factors may be involved in obesity. The presence of either symbiotic or pathogenic microorganisms may contribute to the development of obesity. Gut microorganisms are believed to be involved in the development of obesity by two different and complementary mechanisms. They can extract energy from non-digestible polysaccharides and produce low-grade inflammation. Although the primary cause of obesity will always be a misbalance between energy intake and expenditure, its association with microbiology is only a small demonstration of how complex this multifactorial condition is. Nevertheless, beneficial microorganisms as well as pathogenic microorganisms deserve more attention as evidence of their contribution to metabolic disorders continues to accumulate.

Obesity is not only comorbidity for chronic kidney disease (CKD) but may also be a risk factor for CKD. Epidemiological correlations and pathophysiological changes have been observed associating obesity with CKD. Low birth weight may be associated with both obesity and low nephron mass, leading to CKD later in life. Elevated levels of adipokines, such as leptin and adiponectin, in obesity may be factors in CKD pathogenesis and progression. Furthermore, various other factors, such as hypertension, increased cardiovascular morbidity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and lipotoxicity, may play significant roles in the pathogenesis of CKD in obesity. Reduction in obesity, which is a potentially modifiable risk factor, might help decrease the burden of CKD in the population. Apart from individualized options, community-based interventions have the potential to create a strong impact in this condition.

A study found that childhood obesity was significantly associated with adult knee pain in men and childhood weight and body mass index (BMI) were associated with stiffness and dysfunction. Subjects who were overweight in both childhood and adult life had a significant increase in the adulthood walking knee pain compared with those who had normal weight in both childhood and adult life. These associations were most notable in males. These indicate the importance of reducing childhood obesity in preventing adulthood knee symptoms.

Changes in cardiac geometry and function resulting from obesity are observed as early as childhood, according to the results of a new study. The relationship between obesity and cardiovascular risk is difficult to assess because obesity is associated with glucose intolerance, diabetes, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol levels.

Asthma is one of the most common significant chronic diseases affecting children. The number of people worldwide affected by asthma may be as high as 300 million. The high degree of heritability, external factors such as air pollution, immune sensitization, nutrition and obesity can affect disease risk. Obesity is associated with reduced quality of life and excess risk for several chronic diseases. The change in obesity prevalence in recent decades has been greatest among children. Obesity-related comorbidites such as gastroesophageal reflux and sleep apnea have yet to be conclusively linked to increased asthma risk in children.

Our recent study provides definitive evidence that drinking sugar-sweetened beverages directly impacts weight gain and paediatric obesity. Obesity Prevention Center suggests that all calories are not alike from a metabolic perspective.  Reducing consumption of highly processed carbohydrates – like white bread, white rice, refined breakfast cereals, and sugary beverages – can provide a metabolic boost of several hundred calories a day, equal to an hour of physical activity.  This metabolic boost may be a key to successful long-term weight loss maintenance. 

Applicant institutions are designing and conducting randomized controlled trials to test innovative prevention or treatment interventions that are preceded by pilot studies. The two obesity prevention trials will develop and test approaches that target home, community, and primary care settings for preschool children living in low income and ethnically diverse neighbourhoods.

Underserved communities have the highest need for built environment interventions because they are characterized by limited financial resources and poor infrastructure. There is a lack of ready access to healthy foods (i.e., fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein).  Families in poorer communities often live in food deserts where supermarkets and grocery stores are scarce or charge higher prices for healthy foods than processed foods.

The obesity solutions were primarily in three areas: devices, materials, and information management. Biomedical engineering community developed devices for minimally invasive surgery for laparoscopy to implantation and endoscopy with suturing device for gastric treatment and related applications. Signalling devices, implantable and wearable devices for monitoring purposes was also developed.

Physical exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It can improve your health and reduce the risk of developing several diseases like type 2 diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease and have immediate and long-term health benefits.

Many Childhood Obesity prevention strategies and policies have been proposed to counter obesity, and some of those proposed policies focus on altering the food system to influence food consumption habits and thus obesity and nutrition by changing the choices available to consumers or by changing the incentives to choose.To reverse the obesity epidemic, places and practices need to support healthy eating and active living. The recommended strategies to prevent obesity are Early Care and Education Strategies, School Health Guidelines to Promote Healthy Eating, Physical Activity and School-Based Childhood Obesity Prevention Strategies- School Lunch Programs, After-School Programs.

Calculation of child's body mass index (BMI) determines where it falls on the BMI-for-age growth chart. The BMI helps indicate if your child is overweight for his or her age and height. Treatment for childhood obesity is based on your child's age and if he or she has other medical conditions. Treatment usually includes changes in your child's diet and level of physical activity.

New research has suggested a link between the use of antibiotics in infants during the first 2 years of life and later childhood obesity. It is known that antibiotics alter gut microbiota and it has been postulated that this alters metabolism, which may lead to obesity. However, despite three cohort studies to date that suggest this link exists, the evidence so far is weak and a direct causal relationship has not been established.

Obesity causes many problems in humans, but the treatment options for obesity are very limited. It is widely accepted that a combination of dieting and physical activity is the most effective way of reducing obesity. However, these methods are highly dependent on the motivation of individual subjects. Recent studies have shown that therapeutic vaccines may be new targets for the development of anti-obesity medication.

Obesity is also associated with a number of GI and hepatobiliary conditions. Recent study report: waist circumference and waist–hip ratio were strongly associated with the presence of Barrett's esophagus, albeit in males only.  Another recent report also demonstrated an association of visceral fat and fat near the gastroesophageal junction with Barrett's, and with increased esophageal inflammation and high-grade dysplasia in Barrett's patients, independent of BMI.

 

Neurodegenerative disorders are amongst the leading causes of worldwide disability, morbidity and decreased quality of life. They are increasingly associated with the concomitant worldwide epidemic of obesity. Although the prevalence of both AD and PD continue to rise, the available treatment strategies to combat these conditions remain ineffective against an increase in global neurodegenerative risk factors.

Obesity tracks in families, and one of the strongest predictors of child overweight is the BMI of the mother and father. In recent years, progress was made in identifying genes that may contribute to this effect. The FTO (fat mass and obesity-associated) gene is a large gene on chromosome 16. The absolute risk generated by the FTO gene is relatively modest, is found in Caucasian populations, and is modifiable by environmental factors. 

Hormones are chemical messengers that regulate processes in our body. They are one factor in causing obesity. The hormones leptin and insulin, sex hormones and growth hormone influence our appetite, metabolism and body fat distribution. People who are obese have levels of these hormones that encourage abnormal metabolism and the accumulation of body fat. 

Several endocrine abnormalities are reported in obesity. In case of certain disorders, endocrine glands metabolism slows down and the body does not spend taken calories. This is typical for all individuals suffering from hypothyroidism. They are prone to weight gain although they might not have changed their eating habits and do not consume high-caloric foods. Another endocrine disorders associated with obesity is Cushing's disease. It develops due to excess of cortisol, a hormone produced by the cortex of the adrenal gland. Hypopituitarism is one more endocrine dysfunction that may be blamed for obesity. The reason why hypopituitarism leads to obesity is not completely understood.

Childhood obesity can have a harmful effect on the body in a variety of ways. Obese children are more likely to have High blood pressure and high cholesterol, which are risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). In one study, 70 percent of obese children had at least one CVD risk factor, while 39 percent had two or more. Increased risk of impaired glucose tolerance, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Breathing problems, such as sleep apnea and asthma. Joint problems and musculoskeletal discomfort. Fatty liver disease, gallstones and gastro-esophageal reflux (i.e., heartburn). If children are overweight, obesity in adulthood is likely to be more severe. Cystic fibrosis (CF) has also been associated with overweight and obesity. 

Research on the prenatal period and first year of life point to clues to reduce obesity in women and preventing it in children. The researchers pointed to excessive gestational weight gain, maternal smoking during pregnancy, fewer months of breastfeeding and shorter duration of sleep during infancy as potential targets. Factors associated with increased risk for overweight or obesity in infancy and early childhood include excessive maternal weight gain or smoking during gestation, maternal depression shorter-than-recommended duration of breast-feeding, and suboptimal amounts of sleep during infancy.

The past few decades have brought lifestyle changes throughout the world that have resulted in children having reduced physical activity and increased caloric intake. The amount of time that children spend playing outside has diminished during the past few decades and physical education programs in schools have been reduced or eliminated. Living a sedentary lifestyle, children are spending more time watching television and playing on computers than exercising. Both physical activity and nutrition-focused interventions are already in place in many primary schools. Self-monitoring, increasing sports and physical activity are few of the psychological and behaviour change strategies to treat the disease of obesity either alone or in conjunction with other treatments.

In order to understand Childhood Obesity, the mechanisms those underlie the etiology of obesity, molecular basis of obesity, cellular basis  and genetics of obesity are needed to elucidate. The study of extreme human obesity caused by a single gene defects has provided a glimpse into the long-term regulation of body weight. More analysis of the wide-ranging effects of obesity will help researchers pinpoint the neurological implications and work to find ways to prevent obesity’s damage. 

A healthy diet helps children grow and learn. It also helps prevent obesity and weight-related diseases, such as diabetes. Healthy eating can stabilize children’s energy, sharpen their minds, and even out their moods. While peer pressure and TV commercials for junk food can make getting kids to eat well seem impossible, Encouraging healthy eating habits make a huge impact on children’s lifelong relationship with food and give them the best opportunity to grow into healthy, confident adults.