In a narrative review of 28 papers on pediatric obesity and sports participation, researchers from the Wake Forest (NC) School of Medicine identified 5 categories:
- Increased incidence of musculoskeletal injury in obese children, hypothesized to be a result of changes in biomechanics
- Gradual weight loss while maintaining hydration and nutrition for sport performance
- Evidence of decreased fitness measures and cardiopulmonary conditioning
- Exertional heat illness, especially in youth football
- Differential diagnoses, with 3 identified for increased awareness: slipped capital femoral epiphysis, Blount’s disease, and pes planus.
The authors encouraged clinicians to be aware of these common musculoskeletal and sports-related conditions in children with obesity.
Source: Confroy K, et al. Pediatric obesity and sports medicine: a narrative review and clinical recommendations. Clin J Sport Med. 2020. doi: 10.1097/JSM.0000000000000839
