Seventeen percent of American children or teenagers qualify as obese, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) explains that most children begin the path to obesity--10 percent or more over their body type's recommended weight--between the ages of 5 and 6 or during teenage years. Obesity in children has an array of dangerous health risks.
Social Risks
Obese children are often unpopular and are commonly singled out for ridicule and other abuse, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) points out, particularly among their peers and in school environments. They also generally have difficulty with many key childhood social bonding activities, such as playing sports. Obese children are at risk for becoming isolated and lonely. The stress associated with these effects can, as the CDC explains, interfere with a child's academic performance and translate into low self-esteem and other psychological problems.
Psychological Risks
Obese children are at risk for serious psychological problems, in large part stemming from social problems and low self-esteem. Anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are major concerns, according to the AACAP. Depression carries many serious risks itself, like substance abuse and suicide. The Nemours Foundation states that not only are obese children at risk for developing unhealthy eating habits for life, they are also at increased risk for suffering from life-threatening eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia. The psychological effects of childhood obesity, left untreated, can persist throughout a person's life.
Cardiovascular Risks
Obese children can develop hypertension, high cholesterol, abnormal glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes, as explained by the CDC. These are listed by the American Heart Association as key risk factors for heart disease and other cardiovascular problems, as well as stroke. The CDC reports that up to 70 percent of obese children age 5 to 17 have at least one major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and 39 percent have two or more. These risk factors, closely associated with obesity, often continue and worsen into adulthood, as the CDC cites that up to 80 percent of obese children remain obese in adulthood.
Other Health Risks
The Nemours Foundation and the CDC outline some other primary health risks that accompany childhood obesity. These include sleep apnea and other sleep disturbances, shortness of breath and increased likelihood of developing asthma, joint and bone difficulties and liver and gallbladder disease.
References
- Nemours Foundation (KidsHealth): Overweight and Obesity
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Obesity in Children and Teens
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Childhood Overweight and Obesity
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Childhood Overweight and Obesity Consequences
- American Heart Association: Obesity and Overweight
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