Prevención de la obesidad infantil

Abstract

Introduction: According to the WHO, obesity and overweight are defined as an abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat that can be harmful to health. Child overweight and obesity are one of the most important public health problems with a growing trend, especially in developed countries. Because of its difficult treatment and the amount of complications that childhood obesity can have in the long term, from a health point of view the most cost-effective is prevention. Objective: To conduct a bibliographic review of current scientific evidence on the prevention of childhood obesity. Methodology: A narrative review of the latest scientific evidence from journals indexed in the databases Cochrane Library, Pubmed, Cuiden,Scielo. Results: The set of evidence described points to the contribution that various modifiable factors have in the increase of the prevalence of childhood obesity as a result of the change of lifestyle in society conditioned by economic issues, social or family. It is important to address the health problem from the outset by providing, through Health Education, interventions aimed at the entire population and related mainly to healthy lifestyles. Conclusion: Obesity is a problem worldwide, current and expanding, with worse prognosis if it appears from an early age. Adequate food patterns, the practice of daily physical activity and the reduction of sedentary activities are the foundations of a healthy lifestyle that serve as a prevention of this health problem.