Pediatric obesity: a review for the child psychiatrist

Gaming, Adiposity, and Obesogenic Behaviors Among Children

Videogames in general have been maligned for causing obesity because of their inherent sedentariness, whereas exergames have been both maligned for requiring low levels of activity and extolled for requiring physical activity to move game play along. The intensity and duration of physical activity resulting from exergame play have shown varying results, and they have been explored for use in obesity treatment and prevention, primarily among children. Other videogames have been developed and tested to help children change their diet and physical activity practices with various outcomes. As a field of inquiry, we are in the earliest stages of understanding how, or under what circumstances, videogames can influence all these behavioral and health outcomes. To deal with these complexities, we have assembled a group of investigators who have made important, but diverse, contributions to this research agenda and asked them to address five key child obesity-related issues in a Roundtable format. Brief biosketches are presented at the end of this article.

Overview of paediatric obesity for the paediatric mental health provider

Childhood obesity represents a significant challenge for paediatric healthcare delivery. As obesity rates increase, obese children and adolescents are at significant risk for the development of a myriad of medical and surgical problems as well as mental health problems. Moreover, children with mental health problems are increasingly presenting to their psychiatrists with obesity. Treatment of paediatric obesity requires a multidisciplinary approach with incorporation of the family into the treatment plan although still typically only offering suboptimal results. Paediatric providers from all disciplines should focus efforts primarily on obesity prevention and encouragement of healthy lifestyles, while incorporating treatment for obesity when such efforts fail. The goals of this article are to provide an overview of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, genetics, clinical features and treatment strategies for paediatric obesity.