CHILDHOOD OBESITY AND METABOLIC SYNDROME: PREVENTION AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY TREATMENT

Abstract

Childhood obesity and metabolic syndrome represent one of the most pressing public health challenges of the twenty-first century, with prevalence rates continuing to rise globally and affecting increasingly younger age groups. This comprehensive scientific review examines the current state of knowledge regarding prevention strategies and multidisciplinary treatment approaches for pediatric obesity and metabolic syndrome. The literature analysis reveals that metabolic syndrome in children lacks unified diagnostic criteria, with multiple definitions creating significant challenges for epidemiological assessment and clinical intervention . The etiology involves complex interactions between genetic susceptibility, epigenetic modifications, gut microbiome composition, and modifiable environmental risk factors . Prevention strategies demonstrate greatest efficacy when implemented early through family-centered approaches and school-based interventions targeting dietary patterns, physical activity, sleep hygiene, and self-regulation behaviors . Treatment requires coordinated multidisciplinary care integrating nutritional counseling, structured physical activity, behavioral and psychological support, and pharmacotherapy in selected cases, with bariatric surgery reserved for adolescents with severe obesity . Emerging evidence from longitudinal cohort studies demonstrates that remission of elevated childhood body mass index by adulthood normalizes cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome risk to levels equivalent to those with persistently normal weight, providing powerful rationale for early intervention . Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease exemplifies the multisystem nature of pediatric metabolic dysfunction, requiring coordinated hepatology, endocrinology, cardiology, and nutrition specialty involvement . This review concludes that effective management necessitates paradigm shifts from traditional one-size-fits-all approaches toward precision-based, individually tailored interventions and from tertiary treatment toward primordial prevention across family, school, and community settings.