What You Need To Know About Childhood Obesity
September 22nd 2011 -
The nature of many weight-related health conditions involves the element of time. This means that sometimes it can take a long time for the more serious symptoms to start showing up. Still, childhood obesity definitely sets the stage for problems later on. Still, kids typically don’t suffer from as many medical issues as obese adults do–their youth protects them somewhat. Yet the condition itself is still thought as a risk factor for complications and conditions later on in life. Some of the more serious possibilities are stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, some types of cancer, liver disease and heart disease.
For kids, teens and adults who suffer from obesity, Type II diabetes is a real threat. Of course, it does make a certain sum of sense that it might happen. This type of diabetes is different than Type I because Type II can often be prevented. The risk factors for Type II include obesity, weight related issues and an excessive and prolonged sedentary existence. What happens with those who are obese is the extra demand placed on the body to produce more insulin. This is because there are more cells that need it. Over time the body becomes more and more resistant to the insulin it produces and that is when Type II diabetes happens. There are also gender specific problems in terms of obesity in young girls who have started going through puberty. Women and girls who are obese are, for example, prone to problems with their menstrual cycles. This problem happens because there is interference with normal hormone production in the female body. This, in turn, causes a myriad of problems with the menstrual cycle. Obesity contributes to these problems for women. Sterility is another common result for some women, particularly if hormonal interference is strong. Think about it: if there is a disruption in the hormones, what kind of impact can this have on the other female processes that are reliant upon hormones? The human body needs hormone production to be normal and well functioning in order to keep the metabolism functioning properly.
Researchers are still trying to figure out if there is a direct connection between early onset puberty (especially in girls though boys can deal with it too) and obesity in kids. Of course, there is a fair amount of common sense involved in looking at what we know already. To use a couple of examples we already know that kids who are overweight and obese go into puberty sooner and grow more quickly than non obese kids. This still, though, requires a clearer determination of causality than currently exists. Obviously early onset puberty is not as terrible a threat as other conditions that are related to childhood obesity but there can be implications that accompany the abnormally young age for puberty to set in for these kids.
It is very important for kids who are suffering from obesity to find a trusted and qualified adult to talk to about their weight conditions. It is possible that you need to become educated about what has caused the condition. Alternatively, something can be done about it, and it is never too late to begin the long journey back to good health.