Overweight and obesity in children and adolescents with Down syndrome-prevalence, determinants, consequences, and interventions: A literature review.
Exercise alone will not slim kids with Down syndrome; pair activity with diet and family-level supports.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Bertapelli et al. (2016) read every paper they could find on weight in kids with Down syndrome. They pulled studies that gave numbers on how many were overweight or obese.
They also looked for papers that tested exercise plans, diets, or other ways to drop weight. The goal was to see what works and what does not.
What they found
Between 23 and 70 percent of youth with Down syndrome carry extra weight. That range tops the rate seen in typical kids.
Exercise-only plans failed to move the scale. The team says you need bigger, mixed programs that tackle food, activity, and family habits all at once.
How this fits with other research
Kovačič et al. (2020) later showed the same high numbers and added medical risks like sleep apnea and diabetes. Their data fall inside the 2016 range, so the two studies agree.
Esparza Ocampo et al. (2025) looked at normal-weight kids with Down syndrome and still found bad lipid profiles. This extends the warning: even skinny clients may need heart labs.
McQuaid et al. (2024) found that obese adults with Down syndrome did NOT show the usual metabolic red flags except high leptin. It looks like a contradiction, but the 2024 group were middle-aged and the 2016 review focused on youth. Age and study design explain the gap.
Why it matters
Stop handing out gym cards and hoping for the best. Screen every child with Down syndrome for weight, lipids, and blood pressure, then build plans that mix diet tweaks, fun movement, and parent training. Track waist-to-height ratio along with BMI to catch early risk.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Children with Down syndrome (DS) are more likely to be overweight or obese than the general population of youth without DS. AIMS: To review the prevalence of overweight and obesity and their determinants in youth with DS. The health consequences and the effectiveness of interventions were also examined. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: A search using MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, LILACS, and COCHRANE was conducted. From a total of 4280 studies, we included 45 original research articles published between 1988 and 2015. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: The combined prevalence of overweight and obesity varied between studies from 23% to 70%. Youth with DS had higher rates of overweight and obesity than youths without DS. Likely determinants of obesity included increased leptin, decreased resting energy expenditure, comorbidities, unfavorable diet, and low physical activity levels. Obesity was positively associated with obstructive sleep apnea, dyslipidemia, hyperinsulinemia, and gait disorder. Interventions for obesity prevention and control were primarily based on exercise-based programs, and were insufficient to achieve weight or fat loss. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Population-based research is needed to identify risk factors and support multi-factorial strategies for reducing overweight and obesity in children and adolescents with DS.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2016 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2016.06.018