Severely obese children may be at higher risk of heart disease and diabetes
Medical Xpress | New England Journal of Medicine | 30 September 2015
More than 3 million children in the United States who are severely obese may be at a higher risk of developing heart disease and diabetes than overweight children, according to a new study by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. And these medical problems could cost billions.
The study, which is published in the Oct. 1 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, found that children with the more severe forms of obesity showed early signs of heart disease and diabetes, with the differences most notable in boys.
“Presently we are spending approximately $160 billion a year to take care of obesity-related medical problems in adults,” said Joseph Skelton, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics at Wake Forest Baptist and senior author of the study. “If the trend continues and we factor in the growing number of kids with severe obesity, it is estimated to go up to $300 billion by 2030.”
In the study, the researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of overweight or obese children ages 3 to 19 to assess the prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors according to the severity of obesity, using new classifications developed over the past few years.
