According to the full program: new software will detect obesity in children at an early stage

Russia has developed an application that allows you to determine in advance the tendency to obesity in children and adolescents. Scientists have developed a calculation formula based on nine risk factors. This approach will help to avoid the development of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and other serious diseases in adulthood. Experts note that prevention works better than any "catch-up" treatment, but it is important to test the software on large and diverse datasets.

How many children and adolescents are obese

Scientists at Penza State University have developed a computer application that helps identify the tendency of children and adolescents to obesity at an early stage. Two state certificates for software registration have been received for development.

According to experts, the new tool will allow doctors to better understand the nature and mechanisms of pathology. This, in turn, will help to avoid the development of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in later life.

Childhood obesity is a problem that affects a child's physical and psychological health. According to WHO data for 2022-2024, 25% of children aged 7-9 years are overweight, and 11% are obese. It's not easy to fight such a disease: a person who starts gaining weight gets into a vicious circle when weight gain provokes the habit of overeating," said Valery Vasiliev, one of the developers, MD, Professor of the Department of Hygiene, Public Health and Public Health at PSU.

However, the actual number of overweight children is 5-6 times higher than the official statistics, he added. Therefore, tools for early detection and follow-up of such patients are needed. The proposed program is aimed at solving this problem.

At the same time, according to the scientist, less than 10% of cases of childhood obesity are caused by purely genetic problems. The rest are due to improper lifestyle and nutrition. Therefore, it is important to focus on the causes of the disease during diagnosis.

— Children are monitored by pediatricians from birth to adulthood. Excess body weight is determined by calculating the corresponding index, violation of physiological processes, and external signs. However, a predisposition to obesity can be suspected long before clinical manifestations," emphasized Valery Vasiliev.

In accordance with this concept, he noted, the program is based on formulas that take into account nine risk factors for obesity. So, in addition to the body mass index of the child himself, the calculation includes similar indicators of his parents, as well as violations that occurred during the mother's pregnancy and in the early stages of human development. In addition, the app includes the child's age and gender, sleep disorders, physical activity, eating habits, and excessive use of electronic digital devices.

What factors contribute to gaining excess body weight?

As the scientist explained, these factors were selected thanks to a study in which experts interviewed more than 3.5 thousand schoolchildren in grades 5-11, as well as their parents, teachers and medical professionals. The respondents answered questions about their diet, lifestyle, and habits. In particular, about the number of meals per day, the variety of food, whether the diet includes snacks, soda, popcorn, fast food, etc. Such work helped to identify the negative factors that were included in the program.

— For example, experts took into account the presence of gestational diabetes mellitus (temporary carbohydrate metabolism disorder) during the mother's pregnancy. — Ed.), a significant increase in the body weight of the expectant mother, smoking during pregnancy. Many authors include one or two of these factors in their calculation formulas, but we insist on considering three. If at least one of them occurred during pregnancy, it means that the child has a high risk of developing obesity," said Valery Vasiliev.

To use the app, a pediatrician must evaluate each factor on a scale from 0 to 2 and add points to the program. In a few seconds, the answer will be received: low, medium, high, or very high probability of obesity. Based on the calculation, the specialist can develop recommendations to prevent the disease. Currently, the development has been implemented into the workflow in several hospitals in the city of Kuznetsk, Penza region.

— Early diagnosis of childhood obesity is a really important task: here prevention works better than any "catch-up" treatment. At the same time, it is important not to dwell on the beautiful accuracy indicators. Any model must be tested on large, heterogeneous samples," said Maxim Sharaev, Associate professor at Skoltech and head of the Biomedical Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence at Skoltech and the University of Sharjah.

Further development of the program may be related to the introduction of a disease prognosis function and the creation of targeted recommendations, he added.

The main thing is that early warning really helps to reduce the development of obesity. Therefore, it is important that the information is first received by the doctor, who would decide whether to tell the parents about the problem and how to present the information as carefully as possible, the expert emphasized.

— Childhood obesity is not just a medical problem, but a social challenge that affects the future of society. Already at preschool age, being overweight lays the foundation for chronic diseases in adulthood, which makes prevention critically important," said Margarita Koroleva, a nutritionist, in an interview with Izvestia.

She clarified that solving the problem requires a systematic approach, from educational programs for expectant mothers to outpatient monitoring of children. It is important to limit the time that children spend with gadgets, losing physical activity. It is also necessary to develop social ties that could motivate them to engage in sports and active activities.

For example, in Japan and South Korea, children are taught how food affects height, appearance, and performance. And later — how health determines a person's chances of finding employment. This creates an incentive for self-control, the nutritionist added.

According to her, this approach should become the norm. If a society wants to be competitive, it is obliged to educate healthy citizens from childhood, because health is not only personal well—being, but also the economic and social basis of the country, the specialist concluded.