Pediatric obesity

Overview

In the United States, obesity is the most common dietary condition among children and adolescents. Approximately 21-24 percent of American children and adolescents are overweight, and another 16-18 percent are obese; obesity is more prevalent in certain ethnic groups.

Obesity in childhood increases the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, as well as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, liver and kidney disease, and reproductive dysfunction. This syndrome also raises the chances of developing adult-onset obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Obesity in children is a complicated condition. Its frequency has risen so dramatically in recent years that many people regard it as a major health risk in the industrialized world. Obesity is becoming more common in all pediatric age groups, both sexes, and various ethnic and racial groups, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.