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.

Overweight and Obese Teens More Likely to Have Considered Suicide

A British study has found that teenagers who are overweight or obese are more likely to have considered suicide than those who are at a healthy weight. The study, which was conducted through the University of Liverpool, involved a survey of 799 students of various weights.
"A linear relationship existed between suicidal ideal and BMI, with overweight and obese adolescents experiencing the highest rates of 26.8 percent - more than twice the average prevalence for the entire group."
The study also found that teenagers who had high suicidal risks also scored higher on the Eating Disorders Inventory - showing they're also at greater risk of developing eating disorders. Source: MediLexicon News

Labels: overweight, mental_health, suicide

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Study Says Suicide Risk Rises Significantly After Bariatric Surgery

Morbidly obese people have five times the risk for suicide after they undergo weight loss surgery, according to a new study from the University of Pittsburgh.

  • Dr. Hilary Tindle and her colleagues tracked 16,683 people from Pennsylvania who had undergone bariatric surgeries between 1995 and 2004, and discovered 31 suicides in the group.
  • The rate of suicide for the group was 14 per 10,000 man per year and five per 10,000 women per year.
  • This compares to the annual suicide rate of the general population in Pennsylvania, which is two men per 10,000 and 0.6 women per 10,000.
  • All 31 people in the study committed suicide within three years of their surgeries.

Dr. Tindle was quick to point out that her study does not mean that bariatric surgeries cause suicide. She believes that some patients suffer from depression and other mental health problems along with obesity. One study of bariatric surgery candidates found that 66% had experienced an "Axis 1" disorder, which is a combination of mental health problems that include anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and substance abuse.

However, Dr. Tindle said that her new findings indicate that there is a general need for better monitoring of patients after surgery, especially because over 225,000 Americans now undergo bariatric surgery every year.

The study appears in the American Journal of Medicine.
 

Labels: weight loss surgery, suicide

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 2 Comments