The prevalence of childhood obesity is showing a boom over the last 3 decades, and has become a worrisome epidemic worldwide. In view of increased risk of obesity, accurate body mass index classification along with metabolic and cardiovascular, and hepatic consequences should be considered.

The study included a systematic literature search in PubMed and EMBASE, with the use of selected key words such as obesity, childhood, cardiovascular, liver health. The authors also concentrated their search on papers that assessed the influence of obesity on cardiovascular and liver health.

The authors analysed the current literature that focusses on the influence of excessive body fat deposition in childhood and across adulthood, which further results in cardiovascular and hepatic alterations. In addition, they also determined the effect of physical and dietary behaviors initiated from childhood on cardio-metabolic outcomes.

The study concluded that obesity and obesity-related comorbidities have become an epidemic worldwide and pose concerns about the effect of early abnormalities during childhood and adolescence, particularly diseases related to cardiovascular diseases, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Therefore, it is necessary to adapt appropriate metabolic screenings for early and prompt diagnosis of associated comorbidities in obese children and adolescents. However, amelioration of dietary intake and increasing physical activity performance are still regarded as the best therapeutic tools in children to prevent the onset of obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes risk during adulthood.

Source: Faienza MF, Chiarito M, Molina-Molina E, Shanmugam H, Lammert F, Krawczyk M, DAmato G, Portincasa P. Childhood obesity, cardiovascular and liver health: a growing epidemic with age. World J Pediatr. 2020 Oct;16(5):438-445.