Ramifications of Childhood Obesity

Literature reviews show that most studies on the consequences of childhood overweight have focused on early symptoms or risk factors for later chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. For overweight children and their parents, current overweight-related health problems, might be more reason for concern than the risk of adverse health effects in future. The objective of a BMC Public Health study was to investigate the general health status of overweight children and the possible impact of overweight on diseases that have a high prevalence in childhood.

Data were used from a general population sample of 3960 8-year-old children. Weight and height, measured by the investigators, were used to define BMI status (thinness, normal weight, moderate overweight, obesity). BMI status was studied cross-sectionally in relation to the following parental reported outcomes: a general health index, GP visits, school absenteeism due to illness, health-related functional limitations, doctor diagnosed respiratory infections and use of antibiotics.

Obesity was significantly associated with a lower general health score, more GP visits, more school absenteeism and more health-related limitations. Obesity was also significantly associated with bronchitis and with the use of antibiotics.

Results showed that obese children were more likely to be ill, to be absent from school due to illness, to experience health-related limitations and had a higher consumption of medical care than normal weight children. Data suggest that childhood obesity is not only associated with risk of disease in adulthood, but that obese children may experience more illness and health related problems already in childhood. The high prevalence of the health outcomes studied imply a high burden of disease in terms of absolute numbers of sick children.

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Our data showed associations between obesity and respiratory infections and between obesity and the use of antibiotics. Moreover, a low quality diet with a high energy and a low nutrient content could increase the risk of both overweight and respiratory infections. The researchers think that it is more likely that obesity may increase the severity and/or duration of respiratory infections than that it increases the incidence of infection. The observations on obese Influenza A (H1N1) patients seem to point in this direction. While more study is required, possible explanations for an association between obesity and duration or severity of respiratory infections could be that excess body fat reduces lung volume, resulting in suboptimal ventilation and reduced clearance of micro-organisms from the airways. Additionally, obesity may influence immune responses to infection.

Bonnie - this study is important and relevant to current public health policy because the new healthcare legislation focuses fervently on obesity counseling and prevention. This adds even more validity to the notion that the American insured/taxpayer will not only be penalized in the future if we do not reign in obesity, but are being penalized as we speak.