Childhood Obesity: Reason behind this health crisis

Obesity has emerged as a major health issues for pediatric population as well as in adults in the present global scenario. In children, numerous studies have reveiled a relationship between the breast feeding and obesity in children. Apart from these, Family economic and education level, child meal pattern, duration of sleep and birth weight are also responsible for obesity. Some genetic problems including environmental and socio-economic factors are also responsible for the child obesity. Several studies have shown an evidence of protective effect of breast feeding against obesity while some shows a time dependent effect of breast feeding on childhood obesity. As per WHO recommendations, a child should be exclusively breast fed upto 6 months and breast fed along with the complementary food of good quality. Introduction of the complementary food has a relationship bound with adipose rebound, which goes upto the age of 14. The intake of complementary food reduces the intake of breast milk and also induces the allergic reactions in the child. Apart from these leptin level and energy regulation in the body also plays and important role in pediatric obesity.