Obese Children More Likely To Stay Obese by Age 35

Children who are obese now have a high risk of staying obese into their adulthood.

The long-term risk of obesity for a given child at his or her present age and weight. Was assessed. A simulation model was used to estimate the risk of adult obesity at the age of 35 years for the current population of children in the United States. //

Data from five nationally representative longitudinal studies totaling 176,720 observations from 41,567 children and adults were assessed. The growth trajectories across the life course were stimulated and adjusted for secular trends.

Childhood Obesity - Criteria - Causes - Complications, Treatment
Childhood obesity is one of the most serious health challenges in the developing countries and needs to be understood and tackled effectively.

‘Childhood obesity and overweight will continue to be a major health problem in the United States based on a prediction model.’

A thousand virtual populations of 1 million children through the age of 19 years that were representative of the 2016 population of the United States and projected their trajectories in height and weight up to the age of 35 years was projected.

The models predicted that a majority of today’s children will be obese at the age of 35 years, and roughly half of the projected prevalence will occur during childhood.

Study Findings

Obesity - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Complications, Treatment
Obesity is a condition where there is excess accumulation of body fat which poses a risk to the health of the individual. It can affect children and adults.

The relative risk of adult obesity increased with age and BMI.
Children who are already obese had very high chances of remaining obese when they turn 35.
Also, those who are normal weight in the present scenario have a 60% chance of becoming obese.

Why Does Child Obesity Need Attention?

Overweight and obesity are major risks for long and short-term health. The complications can range from eating disorders to social rejection.

Psychological problems including depression, fear of rejection among peers.
Overweight and obesity could be a predictor of subsequent depression in the lifetime.
Being overweight during childhood and carrying excess weight in adulthood quadrupled the chance of developing depression compared to only being overweight as an adult.
Obstructive sleep apnea
The high risk of diabetes mellitus due to poor metabolism of glucose in the body, impaired function of insulin or increased fat accumulation.
Cardiovascular disease: Seventy percent of youth have at least one cardiovascular risk factor.
High cholesterol and blood pressure
Risk of osteoarthritis due to excess weight gain.