Risk Factors for Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome in Adolescents

Abstract

Obesity is one of the urgent problems of the healthcare system. Despite a large number of studies, the issue of risk factors for this condition, as well as the associated metabolic syndrome, remains relevant to date. Also interesting is the question of analyzing risk factors in patients with obesity and metabolic syndrome, and without them. The purpose of the study was to study risk factors in adolescents with obesity and metabolic syndrome. The study examines the role of perinatal factors, heredity, peculiarities of eating behavior, the role of psychological status and microsocia. It was shown that perinatal factors (complicated course of pregnancy and childbirth), problems of early breast-feeding (previously artificial feeding, perinatal damage of the central nervous system, anemia, rickets), as well as burdened heredity for cardiovascular and endocrine pathology (obesity, diabetes mellitus 1 type) had all obese adolescents, regardless of the presence of metabolic syndrome; the peculiarities of the nutritional status (food with a lot of carbohydrates and refined fats, protein deficiency) in combination with physical inactivity and the formation of an unhealthy lifestyle were noted in all examined adolescents. Psychological problems, such as a high level of anxiety, low self-esteem, social phobia, violation of personal perception and motivation, as well as pathology of the microsocial environment, that is, family problems prevailed in adolescents with obesity and components of metabolic syndrome. The identified features should be taken into account when developing prevention and rehabilitation programs for overweight and obese patients.