What are the health risks for children who are overweight or obese?
Doctors and scientists are concerned about the rise of obesity in children and youth because obesity may lead to the following health problems: • Heart disease • Type 2 diabetes • Asthma • Sleep apnea • Social discrimination Obese children and adolescents may experience immediate health consequences and these may then lead to weight-related health problems in adulthood. Obese children and teens have been found to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), including high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and abnormal glucose tolerance. In a sample of 5- to 17-year-olds, almost 60% of overweight children had at least one CVD risk factor while 25 percent of overweight children had two or more CVD risk factors. In addition, studies have shown that obese children and teens are more likely to become obese as adults.
