Facing the major imminent health problem in childhood: obesity

Background for OPUS

Overweight and obesity are increasing in both sexes, and at all ages, in the majority of European countries.

 

Overweight has been estimated to affect between 30 and 80% of adults and up to one-third of children in Europe, with rates of obesity increasing.

 

In Denmark the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents has increased dramatically over the last 60 years (Bendixen et al. 2004). The prevalence of obesity in young males attending the mandatory draft boards has increased from 0.1 to 7.2%, i.e. a 70-fold increase, from 1950 to 2000 (Figure 1).

 

The health consequences of these trends present a major challenge, and the situation is further accentuated by the increasing numbers of children developing health problems that will result in increased co-morbidity in adult and older life.

Childhood obesity is responsible for a wide range of serious medical complications, including type 2 diabetes, disrupted sleep patterns, poor immune function, skin problems, increased blood pressure and hypertension, impaired mobility, and orthopaedic complications (Doak et al. 2006).

 

Childhood obesity has an immediate impact on a child’s physical appearance and adverse psycho-social consequences, such as social alienation and discrimination, low self-esteem and lack of self-confidence, and also depression in girls.

 

Severely obese children are more vulnerable to orthopaedic abnormalities caused by weight-related damage, and sleep disorders and insulin resistance have been observed as frequent problems among children below 10 years of age.

 

Moreover, long-term health risks are a result of tracking of childhood obesity into adulthood, i.e. studies show that obese children tend to become obese adults. Therefore obesity in adulthood poses increased risk of long-term consequences such as increased risk of cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, gall bladder disease, osteoarthritis, asthma and several cancers. Moreover, adults who were obese children have an increased risk on morbidity and mortality independent of their adult weight.

 

Other adverse effects of an inappropriate diet and lifestyle 

 

(Published on foodoflife.dk)