Risk factors affecting obesity development in high school students

Abstract

We read the publication on “Risk factors affecting obesity development in high school students: a community-based case-control study” with a great interest (1). Yıldırım and Uskun concluded that “the presence of an obese person in the family/neighborhood, transportation to school by vehicle, and having a best friend of the same sex who wanted the subject to stay at the same weight were significant risk factors in terms of obesity (1).” We would like to share ideas and experience on this observation. In fact, pediatirc obesity has become a new emerging problem worldwide. The lack of active transportation or effect of friend might be important risk factors. However, it should be noted that despite having active transportation or a non-obese friend, children still have the chance to obtain excessive foods from shops nearby or on the way to school (2). Even in areas with a high prevalence of malnutrition, obesity can still be observed. In our experience, in rural villages with malnutrition problems, obese children can be seen in the richest families in that community (3, 4). The only isolated risk factor is the economic background of the child’s family. If children do not get money from their family, they cannot buy and eat junk food and might not result in unwanted obesity.