During the summer, in addition to traveling, summer camps, and various interest classes, more and more parents are choosing to prioritize their children’s health issues. “Children’s obesity clinics” in various areas have also seen a peak in appointments.
Dr. Chen Feifei, a pediatrician at Wuhan First Hospital, explains that obesity is an important factor affecting children’s growth and health. During summer and winter vacations, hospitals will set up “children’s obesity clinics” to provide scientific weight loss plans for obese children. She mentions that during the clinic hours, children with obesity come for consultations every week.
Ding Gangqiang, the director of the Nutrition and Health Institute at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, previously stated that the overweight and obesity rate among Chinese children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 is close to 20%, with the rate for children under 6 being around 10%. This trend is rapidly increasing, posing a significant public health issue threatening the physical and mental health of Chinese children and adolescents.
Regarding this, Chen Feifei also points out that the popularity of the children’s obesity clinic during the summer is closely related to the ample time for children during the summer, serious obesity issues, lifestyle changes, among other reasons. “With ample summer time, parents can bring their children to the hospital for evaluation and intervention without affecting their academics. At the same time, during the summer, parents and children spend more time together, making it easier to spot issues in children’s behavior and lifestyle and use that time to design and implement weight loss plans.”
Hospital summer weight loss summer camp. Photo/Interviewee provided
[1] One in five children is overweight or obese
In medicine, there is an internationally recognized criteria for judging whether a child is overweight based on the Body Mass Index (BMI). If a child’s BMI reaches 85%-95% of their same age and gender, they are considered overweight; if a child’s BMI exceeds 95% of their same age and gender, they can be diagnosed with obesity.
The latest data from the “Chinese Residents’ Nutrition and Chronic Disease Status Report (2020)” shows that among children under 6 years old, the overweight and obesity rates are 6.8% and 3.6%, respectively; among youth aged 6 to 17, the rates are 11.1% and 7.9%, respectively. This data indicates that one in five children is overweight or obese.
Dr. Chen Feifei from Wuhan First Hospital told reporters that obesity can lead to early puberty in children, affect their height development, and cause health problems such as small penis, abnormal testosterone secretion, abnormal bone metabolism, and a series of other issues. More importantly, obesity can have a negative impact on children’s mental health, leading to issues such as low self-esteem and anxiety. “In our examinations, most obese children lack confidence. Parents generally report that their children have been subjected to strange looks and insulting words in school and at home.”
Chen Feifei shared a recent consultation where a 13-year-old boy, 1.65 meters tall, weighed as much as 110 kilograms. Due to severe psychological issues resulting from obesity, the boy had low self-esteem, refused to interact with the outside world, often stayed at home without moving. “Further examination revealed that he not only had psychological issues but also had various health problems such as high blood pressure, high blood lipids, non-alcoholic fatty liver, insulin resistance, etc.”
I noticed that the situation described by Chen Feifei is not unique. In mid-April, a blogger wrote that her 8-year-old child, 1.46 meters tall, weighed 53 kilograms. In school, the child was often called “fatso” by classmates due to being excessively obese. The school’s physical education teacher mentioned that the child would pant heavily even with slight physical activity, so he never participated in sports.
A parent from Chengdu also faced similar problems. She mentioned that her child was born with low weight and malnutrition, so she focused on supplementing her child’s nutrition from a young age, did not control her child’s food intake much, and with grandparents pampering the child, the 11-year-old boy is now 1.43 meters tall and weighs 48 kilograms. The child told her that some classmates always called him “fatso” and “fat pig,” which made him very sad.
Measuring waist circumference in young boy. Photo/Visual China
[2] Children’s obesity often related to parental misconceptions
What factors lead to childhood obesity? Chen Feifei explains that it is often the result of several factors working together. She mentions that childhood obesity is related to genetics, inheritance, and lifestyle. First, if there is a family history of obesity, or if one of the parents is obese, the likelihood of the child being obese will increase.
Second, unhealthy lifestyle is one of the most important factors leading to obesity. She points out that during examinations, excessive eating, lack of exercise, and other unhealthy habits are important factors causing obesity. In medical records, many obese children are found to have uncontrolled eating habits and excessive consumption of high-fat and high-oil foods. For example, the 110-kilogram boy from the last consultation ate an entire plate of sweet and sour pork.
Regarding childhood obesity caused by unhealthy habits, Chen Feifei states that this is related to parental misconceptions about childhood obesity. In the health perceptions of most parents, the most common misconception is thinking that children being “chubby” means they are healthy, and as long as no complications arise, many parents do not care about childhood obesity.
She says that especially in cases where children are often raised by grandparents, obesity is particularly common. “The elderly think that studying is very arduous for children, so they should provide more nutrition to help them gain some weight for better resistance.”
Another misconception is that “being chubby as a child will naturally slim down as they grow up.” This understanding makes it harder for children to lose weight as they grow older.
“During childhood, especially during early growth and development stages, if excessive energy intake leads to obesity, it will increase the number of fat cells in the body. Once the number of fat cells increases, it becomes very difficult to reduce them in adulthood.” Chen Feifei says, “The number of fat cells is more or less fixed in children and adolescents, so if the number of fat cells increases due to obesity in childhood, even if efforts are made to lose weight later, it is often only possible to change the volume of fat cells (i.e., the amount of fat stored in the fat cells), making it difficult to reduce the total number of fat cells. Even if they lose weight, they are more likely to gain weight compared to peers.”
Additionally, Chen Feifei points out that “exercise without dietary control” is also an important factor in the failure of children to lose weight. For example, a 40-gram pack of potato chips requires half an hour of running to burn off the calories. Many parents only encourage their children to exercise but do not emphasize controlling diet, resulting in minimal effects.
Chen Feifei emphasizes that the risks of childhood obesity are greater than those for adults. According to the 2017 “China Children Obesity Report” released by the Chinese Nutrition Society, compared to normal-weight children, overweight children are 3.3 times more likely to develop hypertension. This health risk continues into adulthood, where obese children are 2.7 times more likely to develop diabetes than normal-weight children. The risk of developing diabetes for children who are continuously obese from childhood to adulthood is 4.3 times higher than in people with consistently normal weight.
Young boy having waist measured. Photo/Visual China
[3] Scientific weight loss requires “all hands on deck”
Every year as summer approaches, weight loss clinics for children across the country experience a peak in appointments. Many parents utilize the holiday period to take their children to hospitals for professional weight loss guidance.
In this regard, Chen Feifei states that the health problems caused by childhood obesity cannot be ignored, and seeking scientific methods to help children lose weight has become a popular choice for many parents. “Our summer ‘Children’s Weight Loss Summer Camp’ has already recruited for August.”
Regarding the popularity of children’s obesity clinics during the summer, Chen Feifei explains that this is inseparable from the ample summer time for children, the serious obesity problem, lifestyle changes, among other factors. “With ample summer time, parents can take their children to the hospital for evaluation and intervention without affecting their academics. At the same time, parents and children spend more time together during the summer, making it easier to identify issues in children’s behavior and lifestyle and to plan and implement weight-loss programs with significant time blocks.”
Should children with obesity choose to lose weight on their own or seek professional intervention from doctors? Chen Feifei tells reporters that both methods aim to help children reduce weight to a healthy range. If parents can encourage children to “control their diet and increase physical activity,” losing weight on their own is commendable. However, if a child’s Body Mass Index (BMI) reaches the obesity index or corresponding complications arise, it is advisable for parents to seek professional help and guidance from a doctor.
She adds that children and adolescents are in a rapid growth and development stage, so during the weight loss process, they should follow a scientific weight loss method, aiming to reduce body fat while ensuring nutrient intake. Parents should not easily trust any weight loss products to avoid unnecessary physical harm. Also, do not let children try intermittent fasting, carb cycling, fasting, or other dietary methods, as these methods may affect the growth and development of children and adolescents.
Lastly, Chen Feifei emphasizes that rather than treating obesity, it is more important to prevent its occurrence. Prevention measures include a balanced diet, regular exercise, cultivating healthy lifestyle habits, etc. She recommends developing a dietary plan based on the child’s actual situation and adhering to it in the long term. Scientific weight loss should involve the “whole family’s efforts,” with parents setting an example by reducing the purchase and consumption of high-sugar and high-fat foods and instilling healthy eating habits in children.
