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Health Issues

Obesity and the Risk of Disease

If you child or adolescent is obese or overweight, he has a higher incidence of having a number of serious medical problems, including

  • High blood pressure (hypertension)
  • Abnormal lipid levels
  • Metabolic syndrome (A condition of insulin resistance associated with high blood pressure, high triglyceride levels, obesity, and in some cases, liver disease and menstrual irregularities in girls)
  • Type 2 diabetes (once called adult-onset or non–insulin-dependent diabetes)
  • Sleep apnea (repeated disruption of normal breathing during sleep)
  • Skin infections (eg, fungi trapped in folds of skin)
  • Pain in the knee, thigh, and hip (often associated with a condition called slipped capital femoral epiphysis)
  • Back pain
  • Liver disease
  • Gallstones
  • Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
  • Menstrual abnormalities (eg, irregular or missed periods, known as polycystic ovarian syndrome)
  • Severe headaches with visual disturbances
Last Updated
1/1/2006
Source
A Parent's Guide to Childhood Obesity: A Road Map to Health (Copyright © 2006 American Academy of Pediatrics)
The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.
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