Childhood Obesity - Do you have an overweight child? We offer tips to help your child lose weight and get fit!

The My Overweight Child blog will help you keep informed about the latest research, findings, and resources available to parents of overweight or obese kids. There are many knowledgeable people working on the increasingly dire problem of childhood obesity - and we want to give parents a place where they can check in regularly to see the latest studies and tips available to help you help your child lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

We invite you to add your comments - if you have feedback for the blog, would like some specific topics covered, or you just want to share your experience as a parent dealing with childhood obesity.

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Obesity and Premature Death

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health have determined that those with a higher-than-normal body mass index (BMI) at 18 have as much as a three-fold risk for premature death as adults than those with a normal BMI. Examining the records of 102,400 women enrolled in the Nurses Health Study II, the researchers found that those women who had a higher-than-normal BMI at 18 years old, prior to the start of the study, were far more likely to have died at some point during the 12 years of the study than those of normal BMI.

Further studies are being conducted to determine whether taking diet pills such as sibutramine, along with nutrition counseling and careful medical monitoring, may be an effective way for obese teens to lose weight and lower the risk of premature death.

Posted By: Lori S