Childhood obesity can profoundly affect a child’s physical and mental health. The physical complications of childhood obesity may include but are not limited to the following health conditions. Children with obesity are more likely to develop these conditions at a younger age and remain obese into adulthood.

• Type 2 diabetes. This chronic condition affects the way the body uses sugar (glucose). Obesity and a sedentary lifestyle increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.

• High cholesterol and high blood pressure. A poor diet can cause a person to develop one or both of these conditions, both of which can contribute to the buildup of plaques in the arteries, causing arteries to narrow and harden, possibly leading to a heart attack or stroke later in life.

• Joint pain. Extra weight causes extra stress on hips and knees. Childhood obesity can cause pain and sometimes injuries in the hips, knees and back.

• Breathing problems. Asthma is more common in children who are obese or overweight. These children are also more likely to develop obstructive sleep apnea, a potentially serious disorder in which a child's breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep.

 

Children struggling with obesity also face mental health challenges that impact their lives long into adulthood. These challenges include:

• Depression. Research has shown that children with obesity are more likely to be depressed than non-obese children.

• Anxiety. Research has shown that children with obesity are more likely to have anxiety and feelings of low self-esteem, which can affect their engagement with their peers.

• Social isolation. Children with obesity are often bullied and teased because of their weight, which gives rise to feelings of loneliness and exacerbates depression and anxiety.

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In its simplest formulation, childhood obesity results from unhealthy eating habits combined with a lack of physical activity; calories consumed are not balanced by calories expended. However, there are numerous mutually reinforcing factors that contribute to the quantity and quality of food intake and levels of physical activity. Here are a few.

 

• Food Quality and Quantity. The consumption of easily available processed foods dense in fat, sugar, and salt; sweetened beverages; and over-sized portions all contribute to excessive weight gain in children. All three are typically found at fast food restaurants.

• Lack of Physical Activity. A lack of physical activity contributes to childhood obesity because the body begins to store unused calories as fat. Easily accessible passive entertainment (video games, internet programming, television) encourages children to stay indoors rather than play outdoors and get exercise. Typically, the less a person is physically active as a child, the less they will be physically active as an adult.

• Environmental Resources. Environmental resources play a significant role in how children grow up and the lifestyle to which they are exposed. Children who live in unsafe areas with inadequate sidewalks or bike facilities have fewer opportunities to be physically active outside or get to places where they can be physically active safely, such as parks. A lack of healthy grocery stores also contributes to a family’s ability to eat home-cooked meals. Family income is another environmental factor. Fresh, healthy foods are more expensive than processed foods. One study found that children living in families with low incomes have 2.31 times greater odds to be affected by obesity than children living in higher income homes.

 

For a more thorough explanation of the many causes and consequences of childhood obesity, check out this article by Brigham Young University’s Ballard Center for Social Impact.

https://ballardbrief.byu.edu/issue-briefs/childhood-obesity-in-the-united-states