Childhood Obesity - What The Future Looks Like (Hint - Not Good)

It hasn't been so long since obesity was limited to the world of adulthood. In the United States things have gotten worse over the last few decades. In addition to having more overweight adults than ever, kids and teens are developing this condition earlier and earlier in life. For children the most obvious influences are typically their parents though education and awareness raising are also super important. But it is the parents who must provide guidance and also be a positive role model for their children. Obese children are facing immediate threats to their mental and physical well being. If you go beyond that you'll be able to see that there are a lot of dangerous health risks that can and most likely will surface later on. For kids this is a terrible situation that is almost impossible to beat back and get over.

Hypertension and high blood pressure are all but synonymous with obesity no matter what your age may be. While there are some severe medical conditions won't be seen in childhood obesity sufferers while there are some others are a lot more likely to show up. High blood pressure is one of them, and it is commonly diagnosed in younger people who are significantly overweight or obese. Obviously there is physical stress that gets put on the body when a person has excess weight but there is significant psychological stress as well. Physical and verbal abuse from classmates and peers is the norm for children who are obese. So all of that adds up to a chronically high stress situation which also contributes to the formation of high blood pressure. Research has been conducted everywhere that confirms that obstructive sleep apnea is a lot more widespread in children and teens who are obese. This particular condition is especially dangerous because it causes the child's
airway to become blocked while he or she is sleeping. Kids who are overweight or suffer from obesity are more likely to have issues with snoring but that's not as straightforward as it sounds, say the researchers who have been studying the problem. Sometimes kids snore because they have what is called OSA or obstructive sleep apnea. It is possible that having an adenotonsillectomy will help children and teens who are obese deal with this problem.

As you can guess, there is enormous social stigma attached to the obese child and teen. Even something as simple as going to school is probably unbearable. The effects of this kind of activity can wreak havoc on a person for the rest of his or her life. Each person will react in his or her own way to this. The ripple effects from this can be large and serious and it is important to get obese teens and kids and adults into counseling so that they can properly deal with the effects of these kinds of things.

If you are an obese adult or teen, then we urge you to talk to a responsible and informed adult about your weight condition. You need to be informed about what makes your condition happened. Alternatively, something can be done about it and you are never too late to try to work back toward good health.