Effects of Childhood Obesity
Posted on April 26th, 2007 by garyPosted in Health
Since the 1970’s the levels of childhood obesity in the United States has doubled. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that over 15% of children and adolescents would now fall under the classification of obese. Currently 30% of adults are considered obese, and the trend is rising.
As health care costs continue to rise as the population ages, they are also going to rise society becomes more obese. The classical definition of obesity comes from having a BMI rating 29.9 or higher. The effects of childhood obesity can have repercussions that last into adulthood. Some of the effects are high cholesterol, high blood pressure. Additionally type II Diabetes which was previously thought to be an adult disease is now showing up in teens. In addition to physical conditions obese children can have low self esteem and develop social skills at slower pace due to lower levels of socialization and interaction. In extreme conditions these develop into sever life threatening conditions such as anorexia and bulimia, which should only be treated by qualified professionals.
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