P. Gros
Klinični oddelek za endokrinologijo, diabetes in presnovne bolezni, Pediatrična klinika, Klinični Center Ljubljana, Ljubljana

N. Bratina
Klinični oddelek za endokrinologijo, diabetes in presnovne bolezni, Pediatrična klinika, Univerzitetni klinični center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenija

A. Širca Čampa
Klinični oddelek za endokrinologijo, presnovne bolezni in diabetes, Pediatrična klinika, Univerzitetni klinični center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenija

P. Kotnik
Klinični oddelek za endokrinologijo, diabetes in presnovne bolezni, Pediatrična klinika, Univerzitetni klinični center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenija

Abstract

Obesity in children and adolescents is a mayor public health issue. It’s associated with multiple metabolic and non-metabolic complications. Also very young children are overweight or obese and this very often carries over into adolescence and adulthood. From the perspective of successful management of obesity, it’s imperative that we intervene early and include in the process the whole family and the educational institutions the child is attending. Among the conservative approaches to obesity management, the key role belongs to nutritional guidance and counselling regarding efficient and safe physical activity. In addition it is imperative to highlight the necessity of decreasing the time that the child is physically inactive and the hygiene of sleep, the leading role in the coordination of conservative measures of obesity management belongs to the paediatrician.

Key words: obesity, health risks, children and adolescents, diet, physical activity.