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.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

7-Year-Olds Experience Symptoms of Obesity-Related Diabetes

Researchers at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center found signs of Type 2 diabetes in children as young as seven years old.

Dr. Melinda Sothern studied 118 healthy children ages seven to nine years old. Some of the children had Metabolic Syndrome, which includes markers such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. This syndrome is usually seen in overweight adults.

Dr. Sothern found that the child's weight was the factor most likely to predict Metabolic Syndrome. Some of the children had fat in their liver cells and leg muscles, which is a predictor of poor insulin sensitivity and a link to Type 2 diabetes.

This study was presented at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association.

Labels: childhood_obesity, diabetes

Posted By: Aspen/CRC

Comments:

jadesmith on 11/1/2010
Children with symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk for obesity in adulthood, a new study claims.Having three or more of any of the symptoms of ADHD such as inattention, hyperactivity or impulsion significantly increases the chances of being obese. Children tend to follow the eating and activity patterns similar to their parents. A child with one obese parent has a 40 percent risk of being obese, and a child with two obese parents has a 75 percent risk of being obese. Studies have shown that if a child is obese at age 2 to 5, 83 percent become obese adults.