Overweight in Children Aged 3-12: Causes, Effects, Prevention Part 2. Feeding behavior and lifestyle

Abstract

Introduction. Child overweight demonstrates a catastrophic spread across all economically developed countries of the world, despite global efforts for its prevention. The aim of this research paper was to analyze predictors of overweight, the consequences of its development, and approaches to its prevention in children.

Materials and methods. To analyze the current state of knowledge on excess weight in children aged 3–12 years, materials from 168 literature sources from the PubMed database were used. The inclusion criteria for a source were representative samples and the availability of quantitative data for children in the age range from 3 to 12 years, characterizing one or another aspect of the problem of excess weight. The information search was conducted in the following areas: "preschool and primary school children", "overweight and/or obesity", "diet", "screen time", "sedentary lifestyle", "sleep quality", "physical (muscular) performance", "physical fitness", "physical (motor) activity", "environmental influence".

Results and discussion. In Message 2, information is systematized on the role of eating behavior, including daily breakfast, dietary structure, regularity of meals, and eating speed, as well as the influence of family, household traditions, and heredity, and the use of the Mediterranean diet, in creating conditions for the development of overweight (OW) and obesity (OB) in children aged 3–12 years.

Conclusion. The materials reviewed in Message 2 reflect the crucial role of the family – with its traditions in meal organization, preferences, hereditary predisposition, and specific eating behaviors – in the development of overweight (OW) in children. It is shown that various factors contributing to the development of OW affect a child's body cumulatively, integrating prolonged screen time, low physical activity, infrequent meals, and skipping breakfast. Other aspects of the OW problem in children, including the role of environmental and socioeconomic factors, as well as the interrelationship between OW and the physical activity domain, will be discussed in Message 3.

Acknowledgments. The research was carried out within the framework of State Task No. 073-00070-25-03 of Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Institute of Child Development, Health and Adaptation" of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.

Funding. The research was funded under State Task No. 073-00070-25-03 of Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Institute of Child Development, Health and Adaptation" of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.

 

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