What are some of the biggest health problems that childhood obesity causes later in life?
Dr. Washington: First of all, as the obesity epidemic has really increased over the last 10-15 years, we’re seeing a marked increase in a variety of health problems even in children as young as 5-10 years old. Many people don’t think these problems occur until the children get older, but we’re seeing all of them. The most alarming problem that we’re seeing in children nowadays is type 2 diabetes, which is usually a result of obesity and lifestyle factors and can be just as serious as type 1. There has been probably a 10-fold increase in type 2 diabetes among children, with the vast majority of cases being in children that are overweight. We’re also seeing kids with high blood pressure (hypertension) and high cholesterol, both of which are related to their weight. Other complications which are less common, but equally serious include accumulation of fat in the liver and joint problems of the hip and knee from carrying excess weight. We’re also seeing problems such as depression in kids
