A weighty problem

THE number of children diagnosed with obesity has been rising over the past five years, more so since 2020 when the movement control orders (MCO) were imposed.Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) senior specialist consultant in paediatrics and paediatric endocrinology Assoc Prof Dr Azriyanti Anuar Zaini said data from the United States and South Korea in 2021 shows there is a 1.7% to 13.6% increase in the number of children with obesity.

One US paper said there is a weight gain ranging between eight and 10kg for these children, she added.

Though there is no data available for Malaysia yet, she said more children and adolescents are seeking treatment at her clinic for obesity.

This is especially so after the clinic returned to full capacity following the easing of physical distancing measures this year, indicating that more children have put on dangerous levels of weight during the Covid-19 pandemic.“The number (of patients) has increased exponentially over the past two years. Some have put on tremendous weight, with one 14-year-old gaining nearly 20kg within a year.

“Their condition and complications, including hypertension and diabetes, have also worsened,” Dr Azriyanti told StarEdu.

This, she said, is due to the children barely moving during the pandemic as face-to-face schooling, Physical and Health Education (PJK) and all outdoor activities were halted.

Unhealthy eating habits made things worse, she said, adding that they were eating more but the food they were consuming was not nutritious.

The number of patients rose so high that the primary care team had to be brought in to help, she added.

But childhood obesity, Dr Azriyanti noted, is not a new problem in Malaysia.

Over the past five years, between 25 and 30 patients have been to UMMC’s childhood obesity clinic, which is usually held once a month.

“It is near impossible for the five doctors we have to tend to such a large number of patients within the operating hours.”

The situation Dr Azriyanti described matches the results from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS), which showed that the prevalence of childhood obesity among children under 18 hit an all-time high of 14.8% in 2019.

It had been steadily rising from 6.1% in 2011 to 11.9% in 2015.

Separately, the South-East Asian Nutrition Study in 2011 found that 9.7% of urban children aged seven to 12 in six regions in Malaysia were overweight and 12.7% were obese.

Alarmingly, the rise in childhood obesity in many countries has surpassed adult obesity.

Dr Azryanti, whose paediatric centre is the first in Malaysia to have a childhood obesity clinic, also said that for every 100 obese children referred to the clinic, about 30 of them are showing signs of complications such as diabetes, hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia.

Family care and support, she said, is the key to treating these patients.

“Paediatricians only see their patients three or four times a year. For the rest of the time, they need to exercise and eat properly with their families,” she noted.

Malaysian Paediatric Association president Dr Selva Kumar Sivapunniam said Covid-19 restrictions have disrupted the daily routines of children, adolescents and young adults, and changed their eating behaviours and physical activity.

Unhealthy snacking, he added, became a habit during virtual learning, especially with food easily available at home.

“The B40, in particular, do not have plenty of healthy food options. During the early days of the pandemic, many turned to fast food as buying groceries and vegetables online was not yet common.

“Children were deprived of a balanced diet for months,” said Dr Selva Kumar.

Many children, he said, were only found to be obese when they sought medical attention for other illnesses.

“Lately, we have been seeing a rise of diabetes and metabolic syndrome among children,” he said, adding that parents, especially among the B40, are still ignorant about obesity.