The onset can be very early, as early as age 8, but the early signs are often underestimated and the disease becomes more complicated. Over 3 million Italians are affected by eating disorders (EDs), 30% of whom are under 14: not only anorexia and bulimia, but also new, emerging and still little-known conditions.
National Purple Ribbon Day to raise awareness about eating disorders, with initiatives throughout Italy, commemorates this: families and parents are urged to act now and seek help from specialists.
"Five years ago, the term 'Covibesity' was used to describe the worsening of obesity among children and adolescents following the Covid-induced lockdown, and the resulting change in eating habits in four out of ten of them," explains pediatrician Anna Maria Bottelli . "In one year, an increase of over 3% in obese subjects was observed. The Italian Society of Pediatrics provided important recommendations for a healthy diet: eat five meals a day—three main meals and two snacks—at least five family meals a week, don't skip breakfast (it leads to a high consumption of food in the hours following), limit fast food and high-energy snacks—rich in saturated fats, refined sugars, and salt—reduce sugary drinks, and pay attention to food portions. Furthermore, engage in daily physical activity for at least 60 minutes and limit screen time, especially during mealtimes." Finally, highlight the role of the Mediterranean diet, rich in fruit, vegetables, and legumes, with a balanced intake of eggs, poultry, fish, and dairy products, and a limited amount of red meat. This advice is always valid for the whole family, but perhaps neglected then and in later years .
A few years later, the expert recalls, "there was talk of managing and addressing obesity (PG), a complex, multifactorial chronic disease that can affect multiple organs and systems, associated with a variety of pathologies in both the short and long term." That is, it was considered possible to address it in an integrated manner, starting with prevention, moving to a multidisciplinary approach, and ultimately involving the entire society: families, schools, industries, the media, and the political and health sectors. "People were informed about the nutritional aspects of the products they purchased," Bottelli explains, "educating them about informed consumption, to maintain good health through a healthy diet. Targeted strategies were recommended in the pre-conception phase and then during pregnancy, with subsequent attention to nutrition in the first two years of life. This was to reduce the long-term health, social, and economic consequences, namely the risk of obesity-related complications, while instead seeking to improve the quality of life upstream. But despite these and other positions, the situation hasn't changed at all."
Data from the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (National Institute of Health) speak clearly: in Italy, one in five children between the ages of 8 and 9 is overweight (when the Body Mass Index is between 25 and 29.9), approximately 10% is obese (when the BMI is > 30), and over 2% is severely obese.
But how can we address this emergency? " We try to intervene early ," Bottelli explains, "when the child's brain is still plastic (capable of regulating appetite, satiety, and energy), thus before unhealthy behaviors become entrenched. The most appropriate age for intervention is between 6 and 11 years old , when the neural pathways of metabolism can still be guided to avoid subsequent metabolic dysfunction. The 120 children followed for 5 months in a Roman study also exhibited sleep problems, difficulty regulating emotions and behaviors, and memory impairments. The multidisciplinary intervention by a team of specialists included appropriate diet, well-structured physical activity, promotion of healthy lifestyles, psychological support, etc., but above all, active parental involvement. The project, which involved the children attending two or three online meetings per week, produced positive results even in the short term, with improvements in body composition, weight, hunger control, sleep, and various behavioral aspects."
This demonstrates the importance of a multidisciplinary approach that takes full responsibility for the child.
(Unioneonline/vl)