Therapeutic approaches to obesity and metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents

ABSTRACT

The prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents continues to increase worldwide. Childhood obesity is associated with adulthood obesity and increases the risk of developing adult metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a well-documented risk factor for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Thus, to prevent cardiometabolic complications in later life, early detection and early interventions in obese children and adolescents are critical. In this review article, various methods of assessing obesity, including anthropometry and body composition analysis in children and adolescents, are introduced, and clinical predictive risk factors for metabolic syndrome in obese children and adolescents are described. With a comprehensive understanding of each risk factor in pediatric metabolic syndrome, treatment strategies for each component of metabolic syndrome are presented. Finally, the need to establish a school-hospital linkage system for the prevention and treatment of obesity and metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents is discussed.