Obesity in disabled children and adolescents: an overlooked group of patients.
BACKGROUND
There is an ongoing debate concerning the relationship between disability and obesity in childhood and adolescence.


METHODS
The literature available in Medline was selectively searched for the terms: "(children /OR/ adolescents) /AND/ disability /AND/ (overweight /OR/ obesity)". This search was complemented by inspection of journals in the fields of obesity, pediatrics, and neurology.


RESULTS
A total of 38 relevant articles were identified. All studies agreed that the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children with disabilities was almost twice that in their non-disabled peers. No effective, long-lasting interventions for obesity in disabled children and adolescents have been published.


CONCLUSIONS
Since a high proportion of disabled children and adolescents are overweight or obese, effective strategies for preventing and managing excess weight need to be developed so as not to further endanger their social participation. Moreover, risk factors for overweight in disabled children and adolescents should be identified and their weight status carefully monitored.
Reinehr
Thomas
T
Institut für Pädiatrische Ernährungsmedizin, Vestische Kinder- und Jugendklinik Datteln, Universität Witten/Herdecke, 5711 Datteln, Germany. T.Reinehr@kinderklinik-datteln.de
Dobe
Michael
M
Winkel
Katrin
K
Schaefer
Anke
A
Hoffmann
Dieter
D
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors
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