What are the dangers associated with childhood obesity?

In the last 30 years, childhood obesity has tripled from approximately 5 to 15 percent (Ogden, Carroll, Kit, & Flegal, 2014). This dramatic increase has long term ramifications on individual health, often being the causative factor associated to chronic conditions lasting well into adulthood.

Source: Ogden, C. L., Carroll, M. D., Kit, B. K., & Flegal, K. M. (2014)

Unfortunately, childhood obesity has many health consequences, including increased incidence of type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease, resulting in early morbidity (Freedman, Mei, Srinivasan, Berenson, & Dietz, 2007).

Children who are obese at age two are greater than 50% more likely to be an obese adult (Freedman, et al., 2005).

Childhood obesity increases lifetime healthcare costs; an obese 10-year old has approximately 55% higher healthcare costs than a peer of the same age with a normal BMI (Finkelstein, Wan Chen Kang, & Malhotra, 2014).

References

Finkelstein, E. A., Wan Chen Kang, G., & Malhotra, R. (2014). Lifetime direct medical costs of childhood obesity. Pediatrics, 133(5), 854 - 862.

Freedman, D. S., Mei, Z., Srinivasan, S. R., Berenson, G. S., & Dietz, W. H. (2007). Cardiovascular risk factors and excess adiposity among overweight children and dolescent: The Bogalusa heart study. The Journal of Pediatrics, 150(1),12 - 17.

Ogden, C. L., Carroll, M. D., Kit, B. K., & Flegal, K. M. (2014). Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the United States, 2011 - 2012. Journal of the American Medical Association, 311(8), 806 - 814.