**1. Introduction**

Obesity is defined as the "abnormal or excessive fat accumulation" that may seriously have an impact on health [1] and is considered one of the most significant health challenges of the 21st century. There are several definitions used in research regarding childhood obesity [2–4], yet, none of them are ideal for all studies and the use of definition is based on "practical aspects" [5].

Globally, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and youth continues to rise. According to World Health Organization (WHO) data, in 2016, nearly one in five children and adolescents between the ages of 5–19 were affected by overweight or obesity [6]. Furthermore, 38.3 million children under the age of five were estimated to be overweight in 2017 [2]. Several low and middle-income settings are leading at this rate, such as Egypt, Fiji, Jordan, Lebanon, and Nicaragua [6,7]. Notably, there was a 48% increase in the prevalence of children and adolescents with overweight and obesity from 2010–2016 in the South-East Asia region alone [8].

Childhood overweight and obesity is not only associated with immediate health risks but can progress into adulthood, leading to the development of a host of non-communicable diseases [9–13], or mental health illness [14,15]. Children or adolescents with overweight or obesity are also more likely to be bullied at school [16]. Moreover, overweight and obesity can have deleterious consequences in the later life of children and adolescents. Stigmatization in the workplace [17] increases the chance of being unemployed and having lower income among women with obesity and overweight [18,19].

Another matter is the economic impact of childhood overweight and obesity. In the Republic of Ireland, the annual healthcare costs amongst children and adolescents with overweight and obesity were on average €1,709,703 [20]. Research from Australia suggests that the cost to the government as a consequence of children affected by overweight and obesity between the ages of 6–13 is over AUD \$43 million per annum [21]. Moreover, even more staggering is the annual direct health cost of childhood overweight and obesity in the USA, which has been estimated to be USD \$14 billion [22].

Tackling childhood overweight and obesity requires a multifaceted approach. The WHO proposes that prevention should start before birth, emphasizing the importance of healthy maternal nutrition and gestational weight gain [8,23]. The adage "breast is best" is also true in the prevention of childhood obesity, while also providing the best nutrients for infants during this stage of their life [24]. However, food environments also play an integral role in childhood overweight and obesity, and the WHO has previously recommended policy actions to promote restrictions on the marketing strategies that food and beverage industries target at children. These include, for example, preventing the marketing of foods high in saturated and trans-fats, sugar and salt in any form, in places where children gather (e.g., local sports grounds); internalizing positive emotional food memories being used to develop a healthy lifestyle [25], and ensuring that schools promote physical activity and provide health education [26,27].

Treatment targeted towards individuals is also recommended. Diet therapy, for example, can include the introduction of low-fat diets, calorie-controlled diets, or meal replacements. A previously published systematic review has evidenced that there is some merit behind the effectiveness of diet therapy [28]. Physical activity is also crucial for the prevention of childhood overweight and obesity and maintaining healthy body weight. Moreover, there is strong evidence to support the impacts of regular physical activity for the reduction of a risk factor for CVD and diabetes [29,30]. The family and the food environment that a child grows up around can also contribute to promoting weight loss and sustained weight maintenance for children [31,32].

Reviews of childhood overweight and obesity literature can help summarize evidence and guide policy development for addressing this global epidemic. Previously, several systematic reviews and meta-analyses in the field of treatment and intervention of obesity for children and adolescents have been conducted [28,33]. These studies provided insights on a defined research question by synthesizing evidence from previous research. However, a limitation of this approach is that these reviews tend to emphasize a unidimensional topic, which makes it difficult to compare with other research domains over time.

Previously, researchers have applied scientometric analytic approaches to literature reviewing. This method generates a profile of publications for an area of research, and describes the number of publications, citations, downloads, type of journals where this research is published, and patterns of co-authorship, to understand the growth in research productivity and trends specific to that area of research [34,35]. However, scientometric analyses lack essential implications for clinical research, health services improvement, and community interventions, as they do not aim to understand the landscape of topics being researched. Thus, this study aims to describe the growth of research publications regarding interventions for childhood overweight and obesity and to understand the current research landscape. By combining scientometric and content analysis approaches, the authors categorize interdisciplinary topics and interests of the research community regarding interventions for overweight and obesity among children, that can be used to drive future policies.
