In: Advances in Medicine and Biology. Vol. 107 ISBN: 978 - 1 - 53610 - 056 - 3
Editor: Leon V. Berhardt © 201 6 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
Chapter 5
CHILDHOOD OBESITY IN THE UNITED
KINGDOM: CHALLENGES IN MANAGEMENT
Taffy Makaya1,, Rebecca Poole^2 and Kavitha Rozario^3
(^1) Consultant in Paediatric Endocrinology,
Oxford Children’s Hospital, Oxford, UK
(^2) F2 Paediatric Doctor, East Surrey Hospital, Redhill, UK.
(^3) Consultant in Paediatrics, Oxford Children’s Hospital, Oxford, UK
ABSTRACT
Childhood obesity has been on the increase over the last several years,
and has been described as reaching epidemic proportions in the developed
world. Current estimates are as high as 30% of children in the United
Kingdom are overweight or obese. Obesity in childhood has brought with it
the rise in previously rare childhood complications of type 2 diabetes, non-
alcoholic fatty liver disease and significant mental health issues relating to
obesity. Many public health and health-economic authorities have focused on
the significant health and financial burden that could be posed by the
possibility of entire generations of children growing up to be overweight or
obese adults. The challenge faced by the global community is in managing
these children and adolescents with obesity. Drug therapy is limited, and
weight-loss outcomes from community based programmes have been limited.
More focus has recently been placed on surgical interventions – but these
have proved controversial in many sectors of the society. Corresponding author: [email protected].