The prevalence of childhood obesity in my country, the identification and prevention of obesity during puberty.

(4) The incidence of childhood obesity is high in my country.

With the continuous improvement of people's living standards and changes in parenting methods and dietary structure, survey data in recent years show that the incidence of childhood obesity in my country is increasing year by year.

A sample survey of 160,065 people in Beijing, Harbin, Nanjing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Wuhan, Fuzhou, Kunming and other cities, completed by a collaborative group of nine cities across the country and the Capital Institute of Pediatrics, shows that the obesity rate among urban children aged 0-6 years in my country has reached 0.91%, with the obesity rate among infants from birth to 3 months being as high as 43.7%-94.9%.

A joint study conducted by the Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing Children's Hospital, and Beijing Anzhen Hospital, followed 468 six-year-old students in the suburbs of Beijing for eight consecutive years starting in 1987. The results showed that the obesity detection rate among six-year-old children had reached 5%, and the rates of obesity among children aged nine and six years were 22% and 11.6%, respectively, showing significant gender differences. This was mainly due to parents encouraging boys to eat more.

If children with obesity do not pay attention to adjusting their eating habits and food structure, they are very likely to develop into adult obesity, and adult diseases such as high blood lipids, fatty liver, and diabetes will often follow.

my country is currently in a period of rapid economic growth. With the rapid economic growth and the continuous improvement of people's living standards, the incidence of childhood obesity is on the rise. Therefore, we should take precautions and do a good job in relevant publicity and education.

(5) Seize the opportunity to treat childhood obesity and do a good job in children's weight loss.

There are two periods when children are most prone to obesity: one is infancy when adipose tissue is developing rapidly, and the other is puberty when sexual development begins.

During infancy, the main growth factor is the proliferation of fat cells, accompanied by an increase in cell volume.

In contrast, puberty is characterized by an increase in cell volume, accompanied by cell proliferation.

While the proliferation of fat cells during infancy may be related to obesity later in life, obesity is primarily determined by whether fat cells are sufficiently enlarged. Therefore, obesity in infancy can be considered benign obesity, which is the so-called "being fat as a child is not considered fat." However, 60%-78% of those who are obese during school age or adolescence develop into obese adults.

Therefore, prevention of childhood obesity should begin in early childhood, and adolescence is generally considered an important time for prevention and control of obesity.

How to distinguish between normal puberty development and obesity?

Teenagers are prone to weight gain after puberty. For girls, there is one thing to pay special attention to: it is essential to strictly distinguish between normal development during puberty and obesity.

Weight gain in humans is related to many factors, among which excessive accumulation of adipose tissue is an important one.

In addition, excessive water retention in tissues or body cavities and the development of muscles can also lead to weight gain. Generally speaking, being more than 20% over the standard weight is considered obese. However, bodybuilders and sumo wrestlers, even if they are more than 20% over the standard weight, should not be considered obese.

Girls typically go through puberty between the ages of 13 and 18.

During this period, the body experiences rapid growth.

On average, height increases by 6-8cm per year, with exceptional individuals growing by 10-13cm.

Their weight should also increase, by about 5-6 kilograms per day, and in some cases up to 10 kilograms.

During this physiological stage, sexual development is the most characteristic change.

In particular, the development of a woman's secondary sexual characteristics is very rapid, such as breast enlargement, fuller chest, wider pelvis, and increased subcutaneous fat, especially in the chest, back, breasts, abdomen (around the navel), waist, buttocks, and thighs.

As the saying goes, a girl changes drastically at eighteen, which refers to the developmental changes during this period. This normal plumpness is fundamentally different from obesity.

As long as one's weight (generally not exceeding 20% ​​of the standard weight) and subcutaneous fat thickness (generally not exceeding 2.5 cm) do not meet the obesity criteria, one should not be considered obese.

This is important because some girls don't understand this normal physiological change, categorize themselves as obese, become anxious, and blindly adopt "dieting" measures in order to achieve so-called "slimness".

This goes against the normal physiological development process and is extremely harmful to physical health and development.

How to prevent obesity during puberty?

During puberty, the body's metabolism is vigorous, the secretion of endocrine hormones increases, and the body's nutritional needs also increase to meet the needs of physical development.

If you eat too much, especially high-calorie foods, and don't exercise enough, your intake may exceed your output. The excess energy will be converted into fat, leading to obesity.

Especially after girls enter puberty, due to the effects of endocrine hormones, girls suddenly become quiet and gentle, and participate in less strenuous sports. In addition, many girls like to eat snacks, which inevitably leads to overnutrition and weight gain.

Therefore, it is important to avoid excessive weight gain during puberty.

Adolescents should strengthen physical exercise to promote the secretion of endocrine hormones and promote rapid physical development and growth.

In terms of diet, pay attention to the balance of nutrients, eat more foods rich in protein, vitamins and minerals, and eat less foods rich in fat and sugar. This will help with development and prevent weight gain.

What is the relationship between obesity and genetics?

Modern zoological research has found that several species of genetically obese mice and rats with phylogenetic characteristics pass on obesity traits to their offspring in a dominant or recessive manner, with each species exhibiting unique characteristics in terms of the age at which obesity occurs and the pattern of fat distribution.

Recently, scientists at the Royal London Hospital in the UK discovered that obese individuals possess a unique gene that is linked to chromosome 3.

Because this gene is only found in obese people, it is called the obesity gene.

Obesity genes are originally a safety net for coping with difficult times. They can promote the body to make full use of all food, absorb nutrients, and store the absorbed nutrients.

In some areas that have long been in extreme poverty, residents accumulate more obesity genes in their bodies in order to absorb and store as many nutrients as possible from the limited food available.

In affluent modern society, as people's food becomes increasingly abundant, obesity genes have become a burden, transforming from a protector of life into the culprit causing obesity.

Studies have confirmed that obesity genes can promote the body to produce a protein that transports fat in the blood – the APO-D gene.

The more APO-D genes a person has, the smoother the blood transport of fat, and the more fat accumulates in the body. Clearly, the APO-D gene plays a very unsavory role in the formation of obesity, as it promotes fat accumulation.

The APO-D gene is not only present in obese people, but also in thin people. However, the APO-D gene in thin people is composed differently from that in obese people, so it does not cause them to become obese.