unsaveSave
expand-left
full screen Photo: Berit Roald/NTB/TT
Children with obesity are at increased risk of several other diseases such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. But those who receive effective treatment can reduce the risks in the long term.
– It shows how important it is with treatment, says Emilia Hagman, one of the researchers behind the study.
Between 5 and 10 percent of all children in Sweden are estimated to be obese. This leads, among other things, to an increased risk of premature death, diabetes and high blood lipids.
Now a study with Swedish children shows that those who lose weight with lifestyle changes reduce these risks even into adulthood.
– It has long been debated whether treatment of obesity in children has long-term health effects because weight loss is difficult to maintain. Now we see that the effect lasts, which is extremely positive, says Emilia Hagman, docent in epidemiology at the Karolinska Institutet.
The more the better
Even those who lost weight but were still obese received the positive effects. But the greater the weight loss, the more pronounced the effects.
However, the risk that the children would suffer from depression and anxiety when they grew up did not decrease, despite weight loss.
– In the past, there has been a belief that just by losing weight, symptoms of depression and anxiety will decrease, that you feel bad because you have a large body. Our study shows that although obesity and depression often occur together, they must be treated in parallel, says Emilia Hagman.
The study included 6,700 individuals who received treatment for childhood obesity. All received so-called lifestyle treatments, which include support for children and their families regarding healthy eating and physical activity.
No medicines
The study did not include children who had been treated with weight-loss drugs or with bariatric surgery. But Emilia Hagman is convinced that the more options there are, the better.
– Not all children and young people respond well to lifestyle treatment, and here drugs that suppress feelings of hunger can be an excellent alternative.
She says that many people describe it as being “calmer in the head” when they receive the drugs and that the focus on food and eating decreases.
The study, which is published in the journal Jama Pediatrics, has been sponsored by the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk.
FACTS About the study
In the study, over 6,700 individuals who started treatment for obesity between the ages of 6 and 17 have been included.
Data are taken from the quality register BORIS and have been followed up as young adults in the patient register, the drug register and the cause of death register. A control group from the population has been used as a comparison and matched in age, gender and place of residence
40 percent of all were deemed to have responded well to the treatment.
Read more