Over weight and obesity among children

Obesity and overweight have become a worldwide epidemic. Worldwide obesity has nearly doubled since 1980. 65% of the world's populations live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight. The aetiology of obesity is multifactorial. Obesitycan be due to genetic, metabolic and environmental factors or a combination of these. Psychological and behavioral factors rather than biological factors are primarily responsible for the rapid increases of prevalence of obesity. Nurses can promote healthy lifestyle patterns that reduce the risks of being overweight or obese as educators and role models for their families, communities and patients. There is an urgent need to create public awareness about the mechanisms of identification, prevention and treatment of severe obesity than ever before.