Overview
The health effects of childhood obesity on obese children can be psychological, social, and medical. The risks of health complications, which range across almost every system in the body, do need medical intervention, and therefore, losing weight becomes very important.
According to The World Health Organization, obesity in childhood is the most challenging public health issue in the twenty-first century. It is associated with increased morbidity and premature death. Preventing childhood obesity is a high priority in WHO’s list in the current scenario.
Some complications are seen immediately (over the short term) during childhood itself. Others, you will see over the long term later in life during adulthood, if the obesity at the young age has not been corrected.
Obesity is a major cause of premature death. According to WHO, more than 2.6 million people die prematurely each year because of being overweight or obese. Childhood obesity worldwide and in the United States has attained pandemic proportions.
According to ABC News, about 80% of obese children grow up to become obese adults. In such cases, the long-term complications of obesity manifest during adulthood.
However, the risks of these complications can be avoided if the cause of obesity is corrected, management options are exercised, and the weight of the child is reduced. Usually, the cause is an improper diet and a sedentary lifestyle.
If proper corrective measures such as a weight-reducing diet and a proper weight-loss physical exercise plan are religiously followed during adolescence, all complications including the short and long-term ones can be avoided. Younger children should engage in outdoor games to burn calories and excess fat
Immediate complications of childhood obesity
Research done on the life of overweight or obese children shows that these are the health issues commonly associated with such children and adolescents as against those of normal weight. You will find more prevalence of the following problems in obese or overweight children.
The following are the immediate effects of childhood obesity:
- poorer health
- prevalence of disability
- emotional and behavioral problems
- failures in school exams
- absentees from class resulting in bad consequences on the progress of education
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- poor self-esteem, anxiety, and depression causing adverse effects on mental health
- learning difficulty
- bone, joint, and muscle problems
- bronchial asthma
- allergies
- headaches
- Early-onset of puberty and menstruation due to hormonal imbalances (high androgen levels)
Long term complications
Long-term effects of obesity that appear during adulthood include psychological, social, and health complications.
- Psychological effects include poor mental health, poor self-esteem, anxiety, and depression
- Social effects include abnormal peer relationships and a tendency to keep away from social gatherings and get-togethers for fear of being ridiculed
- Effects on the cardiovascular system
- Elevated cholesterol levels
- High blood pressure
- Increased risk of ischemic heart disease (angina, heart attack) in adulthood
- Effects on the respiratory system
- Obstructive sleep apnea manifests as repeated lapses in breathing due to obstruction of the upper airway caused by fat deposits in the neck. This causes a low concentration of oxygen in the blood.
- Hypoventilation syndrome. In this syndrome, there is an inability to breathe deeply enough resulting in more carbon dioxide and less oxygen in the blood.
- Asthma
- Effects on the gastrointestinal system
- Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease is characterized by fatty deposits in the liver
- Cholelithiasis (formation of gallstones in the gall bladder)
- Effects on the endocrine system
- Impaired glucose tolerance. This is a pre-diabetic condition characterized by modestly higher glucose levels but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. This is due to insulin intolerance.
- Diabetes type 2
- Metabolic syndrome. This syndrome is characterized by a combination of medical disorders, which include central obesity (BMI>30), high blood pressure, high blood sugar, low HDL cholesterol, high LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and excess body fat around the waist.
- Effects on the nervous system
- Benign intracranial hypertension. There is increased pressure inside the cranium and around the brain without any apparent cause such as a tumor or any disease of the brain.
- Effects on the reproductive system
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is due to hormonal imbalance and results in the lack of ovulation, irregular menstrual cycles, and acne. This causes difficulty to conceive and become pregnant.
- Carrying obesity over into adulthood.
About 15% to 30% of adults with obesity were also obese in their childhood or adolescence. The effects of childhood obesity persist in adulthood and the risk of morbidity and premature death is higher in such people.