Childhood obesity now affects almost 40% of US children, who are overweight or obese. Children rarely get severe diabetes or heart disease right away, so the problem is easy to miss. But childhood obesity sharply raises the risk of obesity and related disorders in early adulthood. Prevention has to start in childhood.
Summary: Almost 40% of US children are overweight or obese. Yet childhood obesity is still a neglected topic. Unlike adults, children do not get severe diabetes or heart problems. Still, childhood obesity means a greater risk of obesity and related disorders in early adulthood. So if we want to beat obesity in adults, we need to start early. We need to start managing childhood obesity.
70% of adults in the US are either obese or overweight. And obesity is now rising at an alarming rate in children and young adults. So to fight obesity and related disorders, we need to fight obesity in children. Obesity is already a serious problem in children and young adults. Studies suggest that 21-24% of American children and teens are overweight, and 16-18% are obese. That means about 40% of children are either overweight or obese, and the number is rising.
Childhood obesity sharply raises the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, reproductive problems, liver and kidney disease, heart disease and more. It is also why problems like diabetes and heart disease are becoming common in young adults. So researchers say it is time to treat childhood obesity as a major health concern. Good opioid addiction treatment can help lower the risk factors tied to obesity and related disorders. More research is needed on the link between opioid addiction and childhood obesity.
Childhood obesity is hard to understand. Children differ hugely from one another. There are many reasons for it, like genes, surroundings, eating habits and lifestyle. Yet the cause stays unknown in more than 90% of cases.
What is childhood obesity?
Obesity in children has been neglected because it is harder to define. In adults, obesity is defined by data showing that short-term and long-term illness rises at a certain body mass. But children do not get those kinds of health problems. Of course, as adults, they will get them much earlier.
Obesity is understood differently in children. Still, experts say a child is overweight when their body mass is 20% higher than normal for their height. Above 50% is obesity. A child is severely obese at 80-100% above normal body mass for that height. So BMI can also be used in children to judge obesity. But you may need to track BMI for longer, like a couple of years, before drawing a firm conclusion. Still, studies confirm that those with BMI above 30 kg/m2 are obese. Body scans have confirmed this.
What is the main cause of childhood obesity?
It is vital to know that only about 10% of cases have a known cause. Such causes include genetic disorders like Cohen syndrome, Turner syndrome or Down syndrome. Some children are obese because of hormone problems. These include growth hormone deficiency, hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid), high cortisol levels and so on.
But perhaps the biggest cause is taking in too much energy or burning too little. That means eating too much high-calorie food or not being active enough.
Of course, it is not that simple. Much of it has to do with a changed lifestyle. Researchers think children are now prone to problems in the ghrelin/leptin hormone pathway, the system that controls hunger. Studies suggest this causes obesity in about 10% of obese people.
Obesity often runs in families. But it is not about genes. It is tied to lifestyle habits like watching too much television, not exercising and so on.
Unlike obese adults, obese children are fairly healthy. Still, they are at higher risk of many health problems. Children who are obese are less likely to be lean as adults. They start to develop problems like insulin resistance, unhealthy blood fats and high blood pressure early. Once young adults have these problems, they are even less likely to lose weight.
In short, if we want to cut obesity in adults and lower the risk of obesity-related disorders, we should start by fighting childhood obesity.
Frequently asked questions
How common is childhood obesity in the US?
About 21-24% of American children and teens are overweight and 16-18% are obese. Together, about 40% of US children are overweight or obese, and the number keeps rising. Among adults, 70% are overweight or obese. Much of that problem begins in childhood.
Are 75% of Americans obese?
Not quite. About 70% of US adults are overweight or obese, counting both groups together. The trend is now climbing in children and young adults too. About 40% of American children are overweight or obese. That is why fighting adult obesity has to start with children.
What health problems does childhood obesity cause?
Childhood obesity raises the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, reproductive problems, liver and kidney disease, and heart disease. Obese children are often fairly healthy at first. But they start to develop insulin resistance, unhealthy blood fats and high blood pressure early. That is why diabetes and heart problems now show up in young adults.
Does childhood obesity run in families?
It often does, but usually not because of genes. A known cause, like a genetic disorder such as Down syndrome or a hormone problem, explains only about 10% of cases. Families more often share lifestyle habits, like too much television and too little exercise. Obese children are also less likely to be lean as adults. Once weight problems start, losing weight gets harder.
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