Study Suggests Social Development Index May Correlate with Increased Height and Obesity in Children

A study carried out by researchers from Fiocruz, in partnership with the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and the University of London, showed that the average height of Brazilian children increased by one centimeter in seven years, while childhood obesity rates increased are also rising considerably. José Donato Júnior, professor at the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB) at the University of São Paulo, analyzes the research results and the factors that are causing physiological changes in young Brazilians.

According to the expert, although the increase of one centimeter in the average height of young people seems small, it is actually a very representative number, since the comparison was made between the average height of children born between 2001 and 2007 with children born in 2008 to 2014, that is, it is a difference of just seven years, and there may even be siblings in the analysis.

Money and height

According to the professor, there is a correlation between the social development index in terms of wealth and height, which is why the average height of Brazilians is smaller than that of populations in European countries, for example. He states that developed countries have better nutritional conditions, fewer infections, more disease treatment and each of the factors that can reduce growth potential ends up being mitigated in good health and nutritional conditions.

“If a child gets an infection and is not treated correctly, they will end up eating little because they are sick, fragile, and this can drag on for months. In places that offer good health and nutritional services, this child recovers quickly and becomes healthy again, but in poorer places this infection can last a long time, which reduces their growth potential”, he analyzes.

According to Donato Júnior, nutritional status informs the brain if the individual is eating correctly, not only quantitatively, but, mainly, qualitatively. In these cases, it is more likely that the body will develop better height, because, from an evolutionary point of view, the taller a person is, the more energy they need to spend and, consequently, they need to eat more.

The research also addresses the impact of mothers’ educational guidance on these physiological changes, but, for the teacher, this is an indirect measure, since women with better education are more likely to get better jobs and afford more nutritious food for their children. your children. This sum of factors, according to the specialist, provides a greater probability for young people to reach their maximum growth potential, determined by each individual’s genetics.

Income programs

For the professor, the implementation of benefits from social income programs, such as Bolsa Família, may have influenced the increase in height of Brazilian children, enabling better nutrition. For this reason, people with better financial conditions probably did not have significant changes in their average height, but, for the poorest group, the changes are interesting, as these people are now able to eat better and grow more.

“On the one hand, we have to celebrate that there were social programs that managed to make an impact in a short period of time, but seeing that this gain is also coming with the increase in the incidence of obesity, this involves another more complex sphere, which is like this : How are we going to teach people to eat properly and not eat excessively?”, he reflects.

Obesity

According to the expert, the increase in the rate of childhood obesity is a reflection of the same trend that occurs in adults, marked by factors involving poor nutrition, sedentary lifestyle and psychological issues. For him, this condition is extremely serious, as it is a trigger for a series of other, much more serious diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular problems, which can reduce life expectancy considerably.

In terms of food, he says that people are consuming less and less organic food and are abusing ultra-processed foods, which are dense in calories. Foods in this group, such as sweets and snacks, tend to contain high doses of sugar, fat, salt and other additives in their compositions.

The lack of physical activity is another preponderant point and the teacher highlights changes in habits, as many children stop playing, running and moving and prefer to stay at home connected to the internet or watching television. This lack of body movement, especially during the growth phase, influences fat accumulation and weight gain.

“Another factor that is also worth highlighting is the psychological issue, as the world today is a stressful place, including for children, so it is a huge emotional drain. When they are stressed, both adults and children take something out on food, because it is in food that they find a source of pleasure and a reward for that tiring and exhausting day”, he concludes.