Take Control
population. However, body mass index( BMI) percentile significantly correlated with headache frequency and disability. As the BMI percentile increased, headache frequency and disability increased. Lowered BMI was associated with a positive change in headache frequency at both the three- and six-month follow-up visit. This study and others have shown that weight loss can contribute to a reduction in headache over time.
So why do obese children have more headaches? We simply do not know. The mechanisms are unknown, and the effects of physiological and environmental factors are also unclear. But study after study has confirmed the headache-obesity link.
In a 2008 study conducted in Israel and published in the journal Obesity, 16.5 percent of children were considered at risk for being overweight and 41 percent were overweight. In these groups, researchers found that females had an almost four-fold risk of headaches compared with girls of normal weight.
A comprehensive 2010 study of 6,000 teens in Norway, which was led by John Anker-Zwart, MD, of Oslo University and published in the journal Neurology, analyzed negative factors associated with increased risk of headache. These included obesity, smoking and lack of exercise. Both separately and collectively, these factors increased the frequency of headaches. However, it was not clear if negative lifestyle factors caused the headaches or simply triggered them in an already vulnerable population.
Although certain medical disorders can lead to weight problems in children and adolescents, these conditions account for less than 1 percent of all cases of obesity. The main cause is making poor lifestyle choices. To help keep childhood obesity in check, intervention programs should be aimed at both parents and children.
It’ s important to focus on modifiable factors. Children and adolescents should be encouraged to eat regular, well-balanced meals, and they should never skip breakfast. They also should get at least eight hours of sleep each night, maintain good hydration and exercise for at least one hour at a time, three to four times per week.
If kids are prescribed preventive headache medications, it’ s important to avoid medicines that increase appetite and promote weight gain. Some medications, such as Topamax, have actually been shown to decrease appetite and weight.
For young people who are overweight, BMI should be discussed at the initial doctor visit, and educational intervention should be initiated immediately. Such efforts to improve the management of obesity in children and adolescents will improve not only headache control but also emotional and academic well-being. HW
Take Control
The following tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics can positively impact weight in children and adolescents:
Eat five fruits and vegetables every day.
Limit consumption of sugarsweetened beverages.
Eat family meals together.
Get one hour of physical activity per day.
Eat breakfast daily.
Limit fast food, takeout and eating out.
Limit TV and computer time to fewer than two hours per day.
Switch to low-fat dairy products.
Eat a calcium-rich, high-fiber diet.
www. headwisemag. org | National Headache Foundation 19