Article on Childhood Obesity
Find a Conversation
| Fri, 01-12-2007 - 4:37pm |
Jan. 4 (iVillage Total Health) -- A recent study revealed that overweight children and children with obesity incur higher health care costs than their healthy-weight peers.
Study researchers report that 30 percent of children in the United States are obese or overweight. Of these children, six in ten have at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and 25 percent have more than two risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, more than 80 percent of obese 12-year-olds are projected to remain overweight into adulthood.
Researchers from the University of MissouriKansas City investigated the health records of 8,404 children between the ages of 5 and 18. The researchers used body mass index (BMI) to determine overweight and obesity, and also looked at discharge diagnoses of obesity. Of the children who participated in the study, 17.8 percent were overweight and 21.9 percent were obese, although only 42.9 percent of the obese children were actually diagnosed with obesity.
The children were each assigned to one of four weight categories: children with undiagnosed obesity, children with diagnosed obesity, overweight children and healthy weight children. Health care costs and number of health care visits and blood tests were measured for each child, and factors associated with the diagnosis of obesity were examined.
The study revealed a significantly higher rate of laboratory services among overweight and obese children, particularly those with diagnosed obesity, compared to the healthy-weight children. The researchers speculate that this may be due to increased vigilance of potential risk factors for other medical conditions, such as cardiovascular disease. Children who were overweight or obese also had significantly higher health care charges, with the highest charges occurring among children with diagnosed obesity.
This study was published in the January issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
Copyright 2007 iVillage Total Health
Publish Date: January 04, 2007

