[External factors contributing to the development of constitutional exogenous obesity in children].

Obesity is a multifactorial disease associated with excessive deposition of adipose tissue, accompanied by impaired organism metabolic functions and changes in the function of organs and systems. Childhood obesity is of particular concern, which in many cases turns into obesity in adults. The most common is simple (constitutionally exogenous, polygenic, idiopathic) obesity associated with excessive intake of calories in conditions of physical inactivity and hereditary predisposition. The purpose of the research was to analyze the literature data on the influence of external factors on the development of constitutionally exogenous obesity in children. Material and methods. 84 literature sources were analyzed, keyword (children, obesity, risk factors) searches were conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Elsevier, eLibrary, and Google Scholar databases. The preference was given to the sources compiled from the standpoint of evidence-based medicine with a high level of reliability and evidence (meta-analyses of cohort studies). Results. External risk factors for obesity development include 3 groups of factors: family and home environment factors (parents' attitude to breastfeeding, responsive, positiveemotion feeding while responding sensitively to the child's signals of hunger and satiety, fostering children's skills and culture of optimal, balanced nutrition, family traditions associated with sweet and salty foods and juices, portion sizes, fast or slow eating style, duration of screen time and sleep, sedentary lifestyle, exposure to secondhand smoke, psychosocial stress, depression, adverse childhood experiences, the use of medications associated with an increase in body weight, unfavorably altered intestinal microbiota), environmental factors (fast food outlets, an unfavorable school environment, lack of conditions for safe physical activity) and systemic and political factors (inequality of individual social groups regarding access to quality health services, education, safe food and water, which can lead to differences in health status, ranging from maternal pregnancy planning and outcomes to children's adolescence, marketing of high-calorie foods high in saturated fat, simple carbohydrates and table salt, and sugar-containing beverages aimed at children). Conclusion. Obesity is a disease characteristic of modern society, the occurrence and development of which can be influenced by all the listed external risk factors. However most of these factors are manageable. Therefore, knowledge and understanding of the role of these external risk factors is necessary to develop adequate methods for obesity prevention and use them in clinical practice.