Obesity and Nutritional Health

Childhood Obesity and Nutrition

Childhood obesity may be a condition where excess body fat negatively affects a child's health or well-being. As methods to determine body fat directly are difficult, the diagnosis of obesity is usually based on BMI. Due to the rising prevalence of obesity in children and its many adverse health effects it's being recognized as a serious public health concern. The term overweight rather than obese is usually used when discussing childhood obesity, especially in open discussion, because it is less stigmatizing. The prevalence of childhood obesity is known to differ by sex and gender. Body mass index (BMI) is acceptable for determining obesity for children with two years of age and older. BMI is determined by the ratio of weight and height.