Abstract
The prevalence of obesity not only among adults but also among children has been increasing globally. Furthermore, obese children reportedly go on to be obese in adulthood. Obesity is likely to cause lifestyle-related diseases not only in able-bodied individuals but also in disabled children. Specific cognitive behavior observed in disabled children often hinders the provision of lifestyle guidance, such as nutritional and physical exercise instructions. To prevent such situations, early identification of obesity is required to improve lifestyle habits through diet and exercise in disabled children. This study included 285 children with developmental disorders. To assess a childhood obesity index, three obesity-related parameters were compared: the degree of obesity in school health, which has been used to evaluate the health of school children in Japan; abdominal circumference, which is useful for predicting visceral fat obesity; and the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), which reflects visceral fat and physique. The abdominal circumference was significantly dependent on age. The degree of obesity and WHtR did not show a significant association with age. WHtR was significantly associated with the degree of obesity in school health. The WHtR is easily calculated as compared to the degree of index in school health which needs rather complicated calculations depending on age and age-specific coefficients. The study findings suggest that WHtR might be an easy-to-use obesity index comparable to the degree of obesity in school health in children with developmental disorders.
Highlights
To assess a childhood obesity index, three obesity-related parameters were compared: the degree of obesity in school health, which has been used to evaluate the health of school children in Japan; abdominal circumference, which is useful for predicting visceral fat obesity; and the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), which reflects visceral fat and physique
In comparison with three obesity indices in 85 male and female volunteers aged 40 to 60 who participated in a health checkup, Arai indicated that abdominal circumference primarily reflected the subcutaneous fat amount rather than the visceral fat amount [9]
The results showed that among body mass index (BMI), the subcutaneous fat thickness in the bottom of the shoulder blade, waist-to-hip ratio, and WHtR, the WHtR was associated with risk factors of coronary artery disease in both men and women to a remarkable degree; they reported that WHtR is a useful and convenient indicator [10]
Summary
In Japan, the prevalence of obese students (elementary and junior high schools) has been nearly flat or has increased over the past 10 years [1]. We reported that the proportion of obese children with developmental disorders increased with age. Such a tendency was observed in children with intellectual disabilities. Given that severely obesity was found in a 5-year-old child, interventions from an early age are required to improve obesity [2]. Factors contributing to obesity in children with developmental disorders included diet, their specific eating behaviors and dietary preferences, low physical activity, and a family history of obesity [2]
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