Are there any health problems associated with being overweight or obese in childhood?
There are both short-term and long-term health problems associated with obesity in childhood. As well as the physical discomfort of being overweight, children can experience bone and joint problems as well as suffer from asthma or shortness of breath on exertion, heat intolerance and tiredness. They can also develop high blood pressure, abnormal blood fat levels and type 2 diabetes. A large proportion of obese children also suffer from obstructive sleep apnoea (episodes of disturbed breathing during sleep) which can lead to problems with memory and learning performance. Obesity in childhood increases the risk of premature illness and death in adulthood. Obese children have twice the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (such as high blood pressure, angina and heart attack) as adults and 3 times the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, ultimately increasing the risk of an early death. Obese children can experience social and psychological distress related to how they are treated by
