CHILDHOOD OBESITY AND ADULTHOOD CONSEQUENCES

The prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide both for adults and children. Although obesity has underlying genetic causes, possibly exp laining about 50% of the body weight variation, the dramatic recent in crease must be due to behavioural reasons. Lifestyle questions must be addressed if new preventive and treatment strategies are to be develo ped. Since many obese children grow into obese adults with high risks for complications and a low quality of life, more aggressive treatment methods for the obese child could be envisaged.