Overwheight and Obesity in School Aged Children | ||
| Zagazig University Medical Journal | ||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 18 November 2025 | ||
| Document Type: Review Articles | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/zumj.2025.433817.4266 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Ayman Elsayed Galal Ali* 1; Hadeel Abd El Rahman2; Doaa M. AbdElmonem3; Diana Hanna4 | ||
| 1Pediatrics Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt | ||
| 2Pediatrics department, faculty of medicine, Zagazig university, Zagazig, Egypt | ||
| 3Department of clinical pathology, faculty of medicine, Zagazig university, Zagazig, Egypt | ||
| 4Pediatric Hematology and Oncology unit, Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt. | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Obesity is a chronic disease characterized by excessive accumulation of adipose tissue, posing significant health risks. The diagnosis of overweight, obesity, and severe obesity is commonly based on measurements of height and weight, with weight-to-length ratio applied in children under five years of age and body mass index (BMI) used in older children. These indices are interpreted according to age- and sex-specific growth standards. Their main advantages include simplicity, low cost, and universal applicability. However, it is important to note that these measures have limitations, as they do not precisely reflect the amount or distribution of fat tissue responsible for obesity-related complications. A waist-to-height ratio exceeding 0.5 is now widely acknowledged as a straightforward and reliable marker of abdominal adiposity in both clinical practice and research, removing the need for population-specific reference comparisons. Various criteria have been proposed to define extreme obesity in children and adolescents. The International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) classifies morbid obesity as an age- and sex-adjusted BMI equivalent to or greater than 35 kg/m² at 18 years of age, primarily for epidemiological use. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Obesity; Overwheight; Body mass index; Childhood | ||
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