Consequences t teen obesity

Some of the health effects of childhood obesity are reversible with early weight loss, study finds. The effects of childhood obesity may be reversible, based on a recent study that found obese children who achieved a healthy weight by their 20s had better cardiovascular outcomes than those who remained obese. Published in the European Heart Journal , this study looked at the health effects of changes in weight from childhood to adulthood. The goal was to see how gaining, losing or maintaining weight over time impacts risk for heart disease—the leading killer of Americans. The study included 2, participants from Finland whose health and weight were tracked from —

In many ways, childhood obesity is a puzzling disease. Doctors do not fully understand how the body controls weight and body fat. On one hand, the cause seems simple. If a person takes in more calories than he or she uses for energy, then he or she will gain weight. But a teen's obesity can be caused by a combination of things. It can be linked to:. Too much body fat is the main symptom of obesity.

Childhood obesity is associated with a higher chance of premature death and disability in adulthood. Overweight and obese children are more likely to stay obese into adulthood and to develop noncommunicable diseases NCDs like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age. For most NCDs resulting from obesity, the risks depend partly on the age of onset and on the duration of obesity. Obese children and adolescents suffer from both short-term and long-term health consequences.

Childhood obesity has reached epidemic levels in developed as well as in developing countries. Overweight and obesity in childhood are known to have significant impact on both physical and psychological health. Overweight and obese children are likely to stay obese into adulthood and more likely to develop non-communicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age. The mechanism of obesity development is not fully understood and it is believed to be a disorder with multiple causes.