Journal of Obesity & Weight Loss Therapy
Open Access

Abstract

Background: Overweight/obesity is common in UAE as in many parts of the world. Management of obesity in children is usually not rewarding because of many barriers. Prevention of obesity is therefore of high importance. Proper weight perception and awareness among parents and health care providers are basic prerequisites to achieve this aim Aim: This study aims to find weight perception among parents and health care providers in Sharjah, UAE Methods: Retrospective review was done for 1000 patients��? files aged 2 to 18 years who visited UHS pediatrics OPD during 2015. Purpose of the visit, diagnosis of weight status, documented general and specific weight counseling in cases of overweight/obesity were reviewed. Overweight and obese are defined as >85th and >95th centiles respectively based on CDC BMI chart. Results: Among the 1000 patients enrolled in study; 73 patients (7.3%) were overweight, 107 patients (10.7%) were obese and the remaining 817 patients (81.7%) had normal weight. Out of 180 patients, visits of obese or overweight children was weight related in only six patients (3.3%) while it was due to weight unrelated causes in 174 patients (96.7%). Out of 107 obese child, weight counseling was found with only 38 (35.5%) including the six patients visited specially for obesity. In overweight group (73 patients), weight counseling was found with four patients (5%) while patients with normal BMI (817 patients) counseling was found with two patients (0.2%). Conclusions: Most of parents in UAE have weight misperception and are unaware of overweight/obesity as a medical disease. Many pediatricians also have weight misperception; they care for weight issue only if the patient��?s visit is for weight abnormality, even in cases of obesity.

Biography

Abdelreheima Naguib has many years of Clinical Experience in Pediatrics. He has contemporary experience in the management of young children and teenagers with endocrine disorders specially childhood diabetes and obesity, including modern therapeutic interventions like insulin pump and continuous blood glucose monitoring. He also runs a general pediatric clinic that deals with common pediatric problems like fever, asthma and common respiratory problems, vaccinations, common gastrointestinal disorders; follow up of nutrition, growth and development. His professional experience also includes academic appointments with the University of Sharjah, UAE, as an Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the College of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Email: naguib.reheim@uhs.ae