Childhood and Obesity
 When combined, childhood and obesity have the makings of a ticking time bomb. Children who are obese or even overweight are very likely to become obese adults. Additionally, obese children have a greater risk of being affected by serious health conditions than children who are not obese.
Medical researchers specializing in childhood obesity recently concluded that obese children have an increased risk for heart disease, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and other health problems, by the time they are 20. These are alarming facts considering that one in five children and adolescents in the United States is obese. Experts define children as obese if their Body Mass Index, or BMI, is in the 95th percentile or greater for all children of the same gender and age. Overweight children are defined as having a BMI in the 85th percentile or greater for all children of the same gender and age.
Besides potentially causing a host of physical health problems, obesity in children can create psychological and social problems for children and adolescents as well, including:
- Bullying by normal-weight children
- Low self-esteem
- Depression
- Socialization problems because of peer pressure to be normal weight or thin
- And more
The only way to tackle the physical, psychological, and social issues associated with childhood obesity is to work toward preventing childhood obesity from occurring in the first place with proper nutrition and physical activity.
Fortunately, implementing good diet and exercise habits is becoming easier as public efforts begin to materialize on many fronts to help combat childhood obesity. School districts, after school programs and more have started promoting these good habits in the face of alarming statistics.
Childhood and obesity are two things that should not go hand-in-hand. If your child struggles with weight issues, contact your pediatrician today.
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