Childhood obesity has become a social problem in many countries, and at present the rate of childhood obesity in China is climbing rapidly, especially in developed coastal areas whose incidence is close to the level of developed countries. For example, in recent years, in some areas of Shanghai elementary school students in the survey found that the incidence of obesity and overweight in some grades even reached 36%. At the same time, the danger of early onset of metabolic diseases such as hypertension and hyperlipidemia brought about by children’s obesity has made it a public health problem that cannot be ignored. Here we would like to briefly introduce the problem of hypertension caused by obesity in children that parents are concerned about. What are the dangers of hypertension? At present, the awareness rate of hypertension in children and the degree of attention paid to it are relatively low, because children do not or rarely can correctly describe the symptoms, and pediatricians do not pay enough attention to it, and most parents do not realize the danger of hypertension in children. Mild hypertension in children may be asymptomatic for a long time, but it will gradually cause damage to the blood vessels, heart, brain and kidneys. Sudden death due to heart attack. Why does obesity cause high blood pressure? According to the survey, the older the obese teenager is, the higher the incidence of hypertension, 50% of obese teenagers at the age of 7, and the incidence of hypertension at the age of 13 is as high as 83%. This is due to the accumulation of fat in the body of obese children, so that the peripheral resistance of small arteries increases, the heart must be more force to “work” to ensure that the blood supply to the whole body, over time can lead to atherosclerosis, thus prompting the occurrence of hypertension. In addition, many obese children’s favorite diet, such as fast food, cola, instant noodles, etc., these high salt, high fat, high sugar and caffeine-containing foods, are the risk factors that trigger high blood pressure in children. According to the “Salt and Health Consensus Initiative” survey, eating a fast food, salt intake is more than twice the maximum daily salt intake recommended by experts, and some fast food salt content is even as high as seawater. Eating a four-person serving of boneless chicken, the average intake of salt per person 5.2 grams; eating a four-person pizza package containing chicken wings, pizza, bread and fries, the average intake of salt per person 12.3 grams. The UK Food Standards Agency recommends that younger children should consume less salt than those who are older. 2 grams a day for 3 year olds, 3 grams a day for 4 to 6 year olds, 5 grams a day for 7 to 10 year olds. 6 grams a day for 11 year olds and up. Infants, on the other hand, should not have salt added to their food. How can I tell if my child has high blood pressure? The criteria for diagnosing hypertension in children (Children of hypertension) are not uniform, but are usually considered to be above the 95th percentile of blood pressure for that age group, or above the mean plus two standard deviations. If the newborn is greater than 12.0/8.0kPa (90/60mmHg), the infant is greater than 13.3/8.0kPa (100/60mm Hg), the preschooler is greater than 14.7/9.33kPa (110/70mmHg), and the school-age child is greater than 14.7/10.7kPa (110/80mmHg), and this has been confirmed several times. The diagnosis is then made. It is important to note that for blood pressure measurement in children, adult cuffs should not be used in combination, but the appropriate cuff should be used. If the cuff is too small, the blood pressure measured will be high; if the cuff is too large, the blood pressure measured will be low. In addition, children and adolescents are still in the growth and development stage of the brain and central nervous system, mood swings, susceptible to the influence of various external factors, in the measurement of blood pressure, there should be a quiet environment, before measuring blood pressure to have adequate rest. How to treat obese children with hypertension? First of all, there are many causes of hypertension, primary hypertension caused by obesity in children is only one kind of hypertension in children, so before treatment, parents must first take their children to the hospital through the examination to exclude secondary hypertension caused by cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, endocrine disease, nutritional and metabolic diseases, tumors, etc., before treatment can be carried out in accordance with primary hypertension, otherwise the real cause is delayed of discovery, which may cause irreversible damage. After a clear diagnosis is made, the treatment includes both non-antihypertensive drug therapy and antihypertensive drug therapy. Non-antihypertensive drug treatment is the basic treatment, the main point is to develop a good lifestyle and overcome bad habits, such as obese children should pay attention to diet control, increase activity and physical exercise, in order to achieve the purpose of reducing or controlling weight. Control the intake of salt in the diet. When there are children with hypertension in the family, make sure to put less salt in cooking, eat less pickled and fried foods, keep the diet light, and increase the intake of fruits and vegetables. Also be careful to limit the amount of time your child spends watching TV and playing on the computer to no more than 2 hours a day. Encourage your child to be more active and less resting. If non-antihypertensive drug therapy can lower and stabilize blood pressure within 120/80 mmHg, antihypertensive drug therapy is not required. The application of antihypertensive drugs should be strictly controlled under the guidance of doctors for indications, including symptomatic hypertension, secondary hypertension, combined diabetes, hypertension with cardiovascular damage and poor effect of non-antihypertensive drug therapy, etc. The types of antihypertensive drugs commonly used in children include angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, beta-blockers and diuretics. If the treatment is still unsatisfactory, another antihypertensive drug, such as ACEI and diuretic, or calcium antagonist and diuretic, can be added.