"Because of the current
overweight epidemic in children and teens, for the first time in history,
today's kids will not live as long as their parents." -
statement by Dr. William Klish,
Co-chairman, Seminar on Overweight in Childhood, American Academy of Pediatrics Annual Meeting, October
2001. Dr. Klish is a member of the National Institutes of Health
Expert Committee on Overweight in Childhood. Professor Jay Olshansky of the University of Illinois, one of the world's
leading experts on
obesity, likewise predicts that, "life expectancy from birth in the
U.S. will decline as a result of the obesity epidemic that will creep through all ages like a human
tsunami."
Overweight in children and teens is not about looks. Overweight
can cause serious health problems, both now and later: "Ten
years ago people were concerned about overweight in children and teens
causing overweight in adults and disease in adult life. What�s
changed is that overweight in children and teens causes disease in
childhood and teenage years and complications in young
adults." - statement by Dr. Heather Dean, professor of pediatrics
at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, annual meeting of The American
Diabetes Association. Kids tend to think that being overweight
causes diseases only in adults, but that is not true anymore. Diseases caused by overweight in
children and teens include: type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure,
clogged arteries, liver failure, breathing problems, and joint and bone
problems.
Belly Fat
It
is now believed that belly fat is the most dangerous form of overweight.
Belly fat means that there is fat inside the abdomen as well as
outside. Fat inside the abdomen is fat in the important organs of
the body, like the liver, the pancreas, the intestines. Fat in these
organs causes diseases like fatty liver disease and diabetes. Fatty
liver disease can result in liver failure and need of a liver transplant,
even in kids as young as 15. Diabetes is just as bad.
Overweight and Type 2 Diabetes:
The
article at left recently appeared in
Pediatric News. Type 2 diabetes is caused mainly by being
overweight. Type 2 diabetes was previously a disease seen only in older
overweight adults, but it is now happening in overweight children and
teenagers, at an alarming rate. The article indicates that Type 2
diabetes in the childhood and teenage years has been found to result in
severe problems in young adulthood
(in the 20's and 30's) including kidney failure, blindness, loss of
limbs (see photos below and at lower left), and even
death. Type 2 diabetes in kids, due to being overweight, is
increasing at a frightening rate. The U.S. Centers for Disease
Control now estimates that one in three children born
after year 2000
will develop Type 2 diabetes (see recent
article). The rate will be even higher in African Americans,
Native Americans, and Hispanics, where nearly half of those kids will develop the disease
(see video at lower left). Also
worrisome is that two out of every five kids (40%) who have Type 2 diabetes
do not
know that
they have it. Most kids with Type 2 diabetes have a relative with
Type 2 diabetes, but relatives
also may not know that they have the disease. Overweight
children and teens are at highest risk for Type 2 diabetes
if they have a relative with Type 2 diabetes, or if they are of African American,
Hispanic American,
Native American, or Asian
American
origin.
Signs of Type 2 diabetes include high blood pressure,
high cholesterol, and dark patches in the creases of the skin, called acanthosis nigricans
(see picture at right). Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes include excessive
thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision, or fatigue.
Testing
for Type 2 diabetes consists of drawing a blood sample for sugar level
after you have not eaten for several hours.
To read a true story about
Donna, a girl who
developed Type 2 diabetes and complications as a child, click on her
photo at left, or click
here. There is also an
online video with Donna's story, which you can watch on the page.
Other Diseases Caused by Being Overweight:
Overweight kids are
also developing other life-threatening diseases once found almost
entirely in adults. Three out of five kids (60%) with high
blood pressure are overweight and the rate
of high blood pressure is rapidly increasing in kids. High blood pressure is nine
times more common in overweight kids, and puts them at
risk for
strokes (breaking of a blood vessel in the brain), which can paralyze or
result in death. Overweight children and teens are developing sleep
apnea (stopping of breathing during sleep), liver and gall bladder disease, joint
wear, and may face a heightened risk of
hip
replacement down the road (see picture at left). Clogging of
the arteries (called
atherosclerosis) from fat deposits can block the flow of blood to
important organs like the heart and brain. Clogging of the
arteries of the heart from fat deposits has been found in children as young as three
years of age. A new
research study has found that the arteries of overweight kids, even
just 10 years old, resemble the arteries of heavy smokers (see photos
below).
Overweight And Cost Of Insurance:
Another recent article
states that, "Overweight children are at risk of dying decades earlier than they
should." Life
insurance and health
insurance are therefore more difficult to obtain and are more
expensive if you are overweight.
Overweight And Memory:
Maintaining a healthy weight may help you maintain a good memory.
Even though
many overweight teens and kids may not develop diabetes, their blood
sugars are frequently higher than blood sugars of healthy weight
kids. A study finds that high blood sugar, which is common
in people who are overweight, may damage the brain and contribute to memory loss later in life.
WHAT
ARE THE BENEFITS OF NOT BEING OVERWEIGHT?
You get teased less
You can move faster, and are more
nimble
Less chance of
a stroke
Less high blood pressure
Less stretch marks
Less clogged
arteries
Less risk of diabetes
Less
joint problems
Artery Clogged With Fatty Plaque
Normal Artery (Top), Clogged Artery
(Bottom)
24 yr. old with kidney failure on
dialysis machine