title: Obesity in Childhood Cancer Survivors: Call for Early Weight Management.
abstract: A high prevalence of obesity and cardiometabolic conditions has been increasingly recognized in childhood cancer survivors. In particular, survivors of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia have been found to be at risk of becoming overweight or obese early in treatment, with increases in weight maintained throughout treatment and beyond. Nutrition plays an important role in the etiology of obesity and cardiometabolic conditions and is among the few modifiable factors that can prevent or delay the early onset of these chronic conditions. However, nutritional intake in childhood cancer survivors has not been adequately examined and the evidence is built on data from small cohorts of survivors. In addition, the long-term impact of cancer diagnosis and treatment on survivors' nutritional intake as well as how survivors' nutritional intake is associated with chronic health conditions have not been well quantified in large-scale studies. Promoting family-based healthy lifestyles, preferably at a sensitive window of unhealthy weight gain, is a priority for preventing the early onset of obesity and cardiometabolic conditions in childhood cancer survivors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition Sciences, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, and Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA; fang_fang.zhang@tufts.edu.
authors.forename: Fang Fang
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA; and Departments of Medicine, Pediatrics, and Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Susan K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Parsons
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002149:Energy Intake; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D009043:Motor Activity; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015995:Prevalence; D017741:Survivors; D015430:Weight Gain
keywords: childhood cancer; intervention; lifestyle; nutrition; obesity; survivors