According to the World Health Organization, one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century is childhood obesity. The organization estimates the number of overweight children around the world under 5 years old to be over 42 million. Of that number, 35 million are in developed countries. In the United States, the Center for Disease Control reports 17 percent of children age 2 to 19 are obese. Further, the incidence of childhood obesity has tripled since 1980. Overweight children are more likely to become overweight adults and to develop cardiovascular disease,diabetes, high blood pressure and related health problems.
Premature Death
A 2010 study reported in the "New England Journal of Medicine" followed thousands of youngsters and found death rates for the heaviest children were double those of the thinnest. These deaths were considered premature as they occurred before age 55. Most of these were linked to glucose insensitivity or pre-diabetes. Children with the highest body-mass index or BMI were 73 percent more likely to die prematurely.
Pre-Diabetes & Type 2
Obesity is associated with insulin resistance and is leading to a dramatic increase in childhood onset of type 2 diabetes. Complications with this disease process begin with damage to blood vessels and lead to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, heart attack, and stroke. Damage is also found in the kidneys with renal insufficiency and renal failure. Risk is increased for circulatory changes leading to neuropathies and can result in amputation of limbs. Effects of these vascular changes in the eyes can lead to blindness.
Emotional Issues
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reports links between childhood obesity and increased rates of emotional problems. In teen populations, lower self-esteem related to obesity leads to more frequent problems with eating disorders, depression, anxiety, and obsessive compulsive disorders.
Broad-Ranging Effects
The dangers of childhood obesity are clear for the almost 1 out of 6 children affected. Increased risk for major diseases and early death are alarmingly high. However, as a society, the costs of this phenomenon also present dangers for the health care system. According to the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, this tripling of the number of children affected in the span of only one generation has a price tag exceeding 3 billion dollars annually. In a health care system already stretched, these costs limit resources for other problems. Perhaps the greatest tragedy in the story is that the majority of these cases are considered preventable with lifestyle changes.
References
- World Health Organization; Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health; Childhood Overweight and Obesity; 2011
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention; Overweight and Obesity; April 2011
- "New England Journal of Medicine"; Childhood Obesity, Other Cardiovascular Risk Factors, and Premature Death; P.W.Franks, et al; 2010; 362; 485-493
- "Pediatrics"; Childhood Obesity and Type II Diabetes Mellitus; Tamara S. Hammon, MD, et al; Vol 116; no. 2; August 2005
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Obesity in Children and Teens; No. 79; May 2008
- Center for Disease Control; Public Health Grand Rounds; "The Childhood Obesity Epidemic; Threats and Opportunities"; June 2010
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