CHILDHOOD OBESITY – RISKS AND LIFE-LONG CONSEQUENCES – A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Abstract

Childhood obesity has transitioned from an isolated public health concern to a global epidemic in the 21st century. Characterized by excessive adiposity, its etiology is a complex interplay of modifiable environmental factors and non-modifiable somatic conditions. Environmental factors - including screen-time-induced sedentary lifestyle, sleep deprivation, maternal gestational weight gain, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals - interact dynamically with somatic predispositions (e.g., hypothyroidism, FTO gene variants, and Prader-Willi syndrome). If left unmitigated, childhood obesity precipitates severe complications, including insulin resistance, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), obstructive sleep apnea, and accelerated cardiovascular morbidity, alongside profound psychological complications like depression and social isolation. Addressing childhood obesity requires a paradigm shift from individual blame to systemic, family-centered prevention strategies to mitigate life-long health consequences. This literature review synthesizes current evidence regarding the environmental, genetic, endocrine and psychological drivers of pediatric obesity, alongside its acute and chronic multi-systemic complications.