The Article in Brief

Musculoskeletal Problems in Overweight and Obese Children

Marjolein Krul , and colleagues

Background Childhood obesity is spreading at alarming rates in children. This study compares the frequency of musculoskeletal problems in overweight and obese children with the frequency of problems in children with normal weight.

What This Study Found Overweight and obese children experience musculoskeletal problems more often than normal-weight children. In a study of 2,459 children aged 2 to 17 years seen in Dutch family practices, researchers found that overweight and obese children aged 2 to 11 years were 1.86 times more likely to report musculoskeletal problems in daily life than were their normal-weight peers. Overweight and obese children aged 12 to 17 years were 1.69 times more likely to do so. Additionally, overweight and obese children across both age-groups more frequently sought medical help for ankle and foot problems. Children older than 12 years of age more frequently sought help for problems with their lower extremities than did normal-weight children.

Implications

• Overweight and obesity in children creates a vicious cycle in which being overweight, having musculoskeletal problems, and a low fitness level reinforce each other.
• It is important for clinicians to be aware of the higher occurrence of musculoskeletal problems in overweight and obese children, to provide adequate management of their problems, and proactively give healthy lifestyle advice.