It is the most common chronic disease children and teenagers. It sets the stage for the manifestation of diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease and malignancy at a young age, and without proper treatment usually follows a person into adulthood. Cause her childhood obesitywhich is one of the most pressing social problems health and a serious problem for the health systems of the Western world, designed to deal with its consequences.

It is estimated that in Greece 21% of children aged 4-6 excess weight in fat, increasing to 38.5% in children aged 6 to 10 years and up to 41% in children aged 10-12 years. On average in Europe, the corresponding percentages are 15%, 26.5% and 25%. The very low level of breastfeeding in our country, the high quantity and low quality of food, the busy schedules of children that force them to “cut” their hours of sleep and exercise, and the Greek mentality that associates the expression of love with the offer of a large amount of food, and also in holidays, with the consumption of sweets, according to experts, are among the factors that make Greek children “fat”. parents they often have the wrong idea of ​​what a normal weight for children should be, and they also set a bad example with their lifestyle choices: obese children have up to a 79% chance of becoming obese adults when at least one of their parents the same condition.

Special clinic in Pedona

In the Children’s Hospital “Agia Sophia” since April 2013 there has been a clinic for overweight, as part of the Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes of the First Children’s Clinic, under the guidance of Professor of the Department of Pediatrics – Pediatric Endocrinology EKPA and President of the Hellenic Society of Pediatrics and Adolescent Endocrinology, Gospel Charmandaris. It is the largest childhood obesity treatment center in Greece and one of the largest in Europe. It tracks 3,000 overweight and obese children with very good results: 30% of obese children who followed an individual diet, exercise and sleep plan compiled by experts lost weight within one year, so they were not considered obese based on body mass index. 35% of overweight children had normal body weight after a year.

Improper diet, lack of sleep, lack of exercise, the main causes.

“Parents of children come either on their own initiative, having heard or read about our clinic, or at the suggestion of general pediatricians. A small percentage, about 15%, of the visits involve parents of normal weight children who nevertheless want to be informed about proper nutrition and lifestyle plans for their children in order to prevent their child from gaining weight. “, notes Ms. Charmandari. The clinic is staffed by pediatricians, pediatric endocrinologists, a nutritionist, a physical education teacher and a child psychologist and offers the opportunity for a global interdisciplinary approach, research and treatment of overweight in children and adolescents.

As the professor explains, a child who goes to see a doctor will initially be examined by a pediatrician. “We collect a detailed medical history as well as a history of diet, sleep and exercise. A detailed clinical examination of the child is carried out, as well as laboratory tests to determine the presence of any hormonal disorders that predispose the child to weight gain, as well as possible consequences of increased body weight, such as increased blood sugar, cholesterol. , etc. Then an assessment is made by a nutritionist and a physical education teacher, and if psychological stress is suspected, for example, if the child has been a victim of bullying at school, a child psychologist also conducts an assessment.” Here are recommendations for changing your child’s lifestyle through a program of proper nutrition, quality sleep, and exercise. Office follow-up is done monthly for obese children and bimonthly for overweight children. Drug treatment is prescribed only in cases where, 5-6 months after the intervention, the child does not experience a decrease in body weight. “The vast majority of children lose weight with lifestyle changes, and no medication is required,” notes the professor.

Permanent composition

The practice faces a serious sustainability problem. It was created in 2013 as part of an NSRF funded program that ended in 2015. Since then, its activities – staff salaries and supplies – have been based on the funding of research programs, for which Ms. Charmandari is responsible.

“The viability of a practice in both the short and long term cannot be ensured if it is not staffed with a permanent staff,” emphasizes in “K” Mrs. Charmandary. She repeatedly appealed to representatives of the Ministry of Health with a request to take the necessary measures. He hasn’t received a response yet. “I make a final appeal to the political leadership of the country to support our efforts by staffing the clinic with permanent staff so that we can continue to offer this important work to Greek children and their families,” emphasizes the professor.