Health Risks

We all know that obesity can increase the possibility of certain serious diseases significantly. Many times the seeds of obesity are sown in childhood, since significant weight gained in childhood often carried into adulthood.

While genes are important in determining a person's susceptibility to weight gain, energy balance is determined by calorie intake and physical activity.

Here are a few health risks associated with Obesity.

• Hypertension - Research reveals that hypertension is more frequent, nearly nine times more, in obese
• Type 2 Diabetes - Obese children, especially those with a family history of type 2 diabetes, run a significantly greater risk of developing the disease.
• Orthopedic complications - The cartilage in lower limbs and joints in children is at a developmental stage. Obesity can damage the cartilage since it is unable to bear more than average weight.
• Sleep apnea - This is characterized as difficulty breathing and the absence of respiration during sleep.
• Depression - The psychological and social stigma that is associated with obesity can be more traumatic during childhood and adolescence. This can lead to mental disorders like depression.
• Asthma – Many obese children are at risk of developing asthma due to a lack of pulmonary exercise, as well as a prolonged exposure to dust mites and other household allergens from leading a sedentary lifestyle.

These risks can be preventable when you start in the home. Family has a huge impact on influencing how individuals/children conduct their lives. Children have to rely on their parents until they get to an age where they make their own choices, although parents are the ones that put food on the table. These health risks are very scary and at times life threatening. Parents need to be educated, become an expert on nutrition, and be an example of having a healthy lifestyle. By doing so, this epidemic can decrease amount children.