Childhood Obesity
Childhood obesity is a worldwide public health issue. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that the problem is global and affects low and middle-income countries, especially in urban areas. The number of children under five years of age affected by excess weight was estimated at 158 million worldwide in 2020. In 2018, according to data from the Nutritional and Food Surveillance System (SISVAN), 3 out of 10 children between 5 and 9 years of age treated at the Unified Health Care System are overweight. Obesity is a risk factor for many chronic non-communicable diseases such as cancer, in addition to causing several complications during child development - such as endocrine disorders, bullying, depression - and generating high hospital costs, both related to childhood obesity itself and other diseases that affect children with obesity.