Why Should We Care That Are Kids Are Heavier?

It's clear that you care because you're visiting this website.  You understand that being overweight as a child, adolescent, or young adult raises a number of important issues.  Here we summarize the scientific consensus on why we should care that are kids are getting heavier and heavier.

It's Bad for Their Health

Overweight children and teens are at significantly greater risk of immediate health problems such as hypertension, insulin resistance and diabetes, orthopedic issues and (in girls) polycystic ovarian syndrome.  They are also very likely to become more overweight - not less overweight - as they grow up and become adults. 

• Preschool-age children who are overweight at any point before age 5 are more than 5x more likely than other children to be overweight at age 12. (study from Dr. Philip Nader and colleagues at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine).
• Other studies have shown that overweight adolescents are 20 times more likely than other adolescents to become obese young adults.  Approximately 75% of obese children become obese adults.

Obesity in adulthood can often be the difference between life and death.  As the obesity epidemic has spiraled out of control, researchers have correlated obesity with practically every major disease category, including those that probably make sense to you such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke, osteoarthritis, gallstones, a range of pulmonary conditions (think sleep apnea), as well as those that might leave you scratching your head.  These diseases include:

• A range of liver diseases
• Gynecologic abnormalities
• A range of skin conditions
• Gout
• Cataracts
• Pancreatitis
• Various cancers including breast cancer, cervical cancer, cancer of the uterus, colon cancer, esophageal cancer, cancer of the pancreas, kidney cancer and prostate cancer
  

These diseases take time to develop, but often do develop as a result of obesity.  But while most overweight and obese kids aren't burdened with these problems, most take an emotional and psychological beating.

It's Bad for Their Self-Esteem

According to a number of studies, kids consistently view their overweight peers as "lazy, lying, cheating, sloppy, dirty, ugly and stupid."

In the most startling study, a University of California San Diego study in 2003 found that obese children rate their quality of life as low as young cancer patients.  In this study, 106 obese children ages 5 to 18 who had been referred to a hospital were asked to rate their physical, academic, emotional, and social well-being.  Compared to a control group of children in a normal weight range, the obese children were five times more likely to report a low quality of life.  In particular, the emotional, social and psychological state of the obese children mapped most closely with young cancer patients.  Both categories of children had trouble keeping up with peers at school and participating in activities.  In addition, both groups suffered teasing and ostracism from classmates.  The results surprised the researchers, as obese children aren't exposed to the intensive medical interventions such as chemotherapy that cancer patients experience.

According to the research, obese children are socially stigmatized and suffer from emotional and psychological disorders such as depression.  However bad this is for adults, it's worse for kids.  It's perhaps not surprising that other studies have correlated obesity in adolescence and young adulthood to failure to complete high school, failure to attend college, failure to graduate from college, failure to enter into a relationship and get married, and an increased likelihood of occupying a lower socioeconomic level as an adult.