ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a reference for medical providers who wish to incorporate the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity into their practice. It highlights lifestyle-change approaches that support families to change nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and other habits to maintain or achieve healthy child growth. Tailor obesity interventions to the severity of obesity and the family’s readiness to change. The prevalence of childhood obesity has increased significantly since the 1980s, paralleling the increase of obesity in adults over the same period. Childhood obesity results from the complex interactions of genetic, epigenetic, lifestyle, biopsychological, and socioenvironmental factors. Obesity in childhood and adolescence may affect numerous organ systems. Risk factors for the development of childhood obesity are widely accepted to arise in the preconception and prenatal stages of life. Early recognition of accelerated weight gain paired with early intervention strategies may prevent progression to overweight or obesity.
