Impact of Obesity in School Age of Late Childhood in Helwan Governorate

Background: Childhood obesity is an emerging global public health challenge
because of the great increase in the prevalence of obesity among children and
adolescents in all parts of the world. In Egypt, the prevalence of obesity among
children and adolescent was 14.7 %and 15.08 %for males and females respectively.
In addition, the incidence of overweight and obesity among children is slowly
becoming a world-wide problem in developed and developing countries .There is no
doubt that the percentages are even greater nowadays because of physical inactivity
and westernization in diet. In all times and in all cases, prevention is better than cure.
So, health care providers need to take a proactive role when treating children and
focus on prevention of obesity rather than waiting until the condition exists. Aim of
study: is to assess life style habits which lead to obesity for school age children and
evaluate its effect on puberty in school age children. Method: This is a descriptive
research design; it was carried out in Ezbet Elwalda in Helwan governorate. Subjects
were all obese students and accepted to participate in the study from both sexes,
aged10- 12 years old ( late childhood stage), 13- 17 years old ( the adolescent stage)
and Marley juvenile diabetes were excluded and their total number was 216.The
researchers utilized self administered interview sheet which included the following ,
personal information, eating habits, life style pattern and gender puberty and
physical assessment (height , weight & BMI).All data collected from first of March to
the end of April 2010. Results: The majority of studied sample had boys, their
numbers was 138 from 216 student. The majority of studied sample were prefer to eat
fast food on weekly basis (41.7%), drink beverage and eat candy (70.8%), take snacks
between meals (52.8%) as ice cream in (66.7%) and eat potato chips (60.2%). Three
quarter of obese sample had not seeking medical advice and 71.4 % were physically
inactivity. All obese girls had pubic hair, armpit hair, developed nipple of the breast
and 40 % of them started menarche at eleven years old. Otherwise there is no
significant relation between overweight and obese boys regarding developed testes,
emergence of armpit hair, developed growth hand and foot, masculine voice.
Recommendation: Health care providers need to play a preventive role when
treating children and focus on prevention of obesity rather than wait until the
condition exists. Also, referring client to an experienced registered dietitian to obtain
a full nutritional assessment for the child and family.