● Obese children are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol. In one population-based sample off children between the ages of 5 and 17, 70 percent of obese youth had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
● Obese adolescents are more likely to have prediabetes, a condition in which the blood glucose elves indicate a high risk for development of diabetes.
● Children and adolescents who are obese are at a greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, social and psychological problems, including stigmatization and poor self-esteem.
Among the long term health effects faced by obese youth:
● Children and adolescents who are obese are more likely to remain obese as adults, and therefore are at a greater risk for adult health problems, including heart disease, type II diabetes, stroke, several forms of cancer, and osteoarthritis, among others. According to one study, children who were obese were far more likely to remain obese as adults, even if the obesity occurred as early as age two.
● Being overweight or obese is associated with an increased risk for many types of cancer, including breast cancer, colon cancer, endometrial cancer, esophageal cancer, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer, gallbladder cancer, thyroid cancer, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, and prostate cancer, as well as multiple myeloma and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
What Can Be Done About This?
Healthy lifestyle habits, including balanced diet and regular physical activity, can lower the risk of becoming obese and developing related diseases. It’s most effective to teach children healthy lifestyle habits from an early age, because the dietary and physical activity behaviors of children and adolescents are influenced by a number of factors, including family habits, communities, schools, child care settings, medical care providers, faith-based institutions, government agencies, the media, food and beverage industries and entertainment industries.