Recognize Obesity Symptoms in Children That Can Cause Complications

KOMPAS.com – Not only for adults obesity It can happen to children too. Obesity is a condition caused by the accumulation of excess body fat tissue.

Meanwhile, obesity in children has the potential to cause various other diseases that are difficult to manage. This condition is also caused by an imbalance between energy intake and energy output, resulting in excess energy being stored in the form of fat tissue.

The representative of the Indonesian Pediatric Association (IDAI) Dr. Winra Pratita explained, obesity symptoms in children can actually be observed. The clinical symptoms that may appear include:

Also read: Be careful, ultra-processed foods cause obesity in children as adults

• Face looks round
• Chubby cheeks
• Double chin
• On the neck looks short
• There is acanthosis nigricans (black spots on the back of the neck)
• The child’s chest looks bloated with enlarged breasts and wheezing
• Stomach looks bloated with folded abdominal walls

“In the extremities, the legs are often X-shaped due to excessive weight gain in a short time. Then the pelvic movement is limited, and in the male reproductive system the penis looks small,” said Winra, quoted from the official website of the Ministry of Health, Wednesday (2/3/2022).

However, Dr. Winra emphasized that the diagnosis of obesity in children requires an anthropometric examination that includes weight, body length or body mass index height.

In addition to clinical symptoms, obesity in children can cause complications from head to toe.

Obesity can trigger depression, and decreased self-confidence in children. Then in the lungs, the child may have asthma, or sleep apnea at bedtime.

To be known, sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes a person’s breathing to stop temporarily for several times. This can be characterized by a child who snores while sleeping.

Obese children are also at risk for heart problems, high cholesterol, or increased blood pressure. Furthermore, fatty liver can occur, and can trigger GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). They are also at risk of experiencing type 2 diabetesand arthritis or joint pain.

“And it could also be that the legs are bent due to the massive accumulation of weight in a very short time,” said Dr. Winra.

“Not only that, the reproductive part is usually if girls have irregular periods or maybe faster than their friends. That’s what we have to avoid,” he continued.

Also read: What is the Relationship between Obesity and Heart Failure? This is the Cardiologist’s Explanation

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