Childhood Obesity Can Lead To Other Health Problems

According to current statistics, between 16% and 33% of kids and teenagers are either overweight or obese. Unfortunately, childhood obesity is not very easy to treat. Children who are obese when they are between 10 and 13 years old have been shown to have an 80% chance of continuing to be obese when they are adults. Making matters worse, it can lead to a host of other more serious health problems later in life. 

 

One of the most common health problems that comes about as a result of obesity is heart disease. Since obese children tend to consume much more fat and saturated fat than they should, this can clog arteries and cause children to have high cholesterol levels at a much younger age than is normal. 

 

High blood pressure is also associated with obesity during childhood. While this was once considered to be a condition that only affected adults, many adolescents are developing this problem because of their sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits.

 

Obesity can also lead to type 2 diabetes, a serious illness which requires careful attention. Diabetics have to be very attentive to how they eat in order to avoid a medical emergency. Sadly, it is usually bad eating habits that have caused children to become obese and develop this disease in the first place. Other health problems related to childhood obesity include joint problems, trouble sleeping, shortness of breath, early onset puberty, and liver and gall bladder disease.

 

Besides these medical conditions, obesity also takes a severe emotional toll on children. They are often bullied and teased at school, which leads to low self esteem and depression. That makes them more likely to get into problems with substance abuse or eating disorders, such as bulimia and anorexia.

 

In order to help children avoid these detrimental health problems, parents should help their kids get on a balanced diet and schedule regular physical activity for them from a young age.