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Heart risks detected by age 7 in overweight kids By Will Dunham - Tue Nov 6, 2007
ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - Children
who are on the path toward obesity have some worrisome cardiovascular disease risk factors
as young as age 7, according to researchers tracking early childhood weight fluctuations.
The researchers at Cincinnati
Children's Hospital Medical Center in Ohio measured the height & weight
of 158 boys & 150 girls every 4 months after age 3 using body mass index, or BMI. They then examined several cardiovascular
characteristics of the children at age 7.
A key element of the study
was the "BMI rebound." After babies are born, many have what is commonly known as baby fat & can appear pudgy. Heading
into the toddler period, they become taller & leaner, with their body mass index dropping.
Usually between ages 4 &
7, children start putting on weight in a way that increases their body mass index. The point at which the BMI ceases to drop
& starts to rise again is called the BMI rebound, the researchers said.
The study showed that children
who reached this BMI rebound early - starting to put on excess weight soonest - experienced cardiovascular red flags by age
7.
Those with the earliest age
of BMI rebound, starting at age 4, were more likely to have high blood pressure & elevated left ventricular mass, known
to be a major risk factor for heart disease in adults, the researchers told a meeting of the American
Heart Association in Orlando, Florida.
Girls registered a slightly
earlier BMI rebound than boys, leaving them at a bit higher risk because they started gaining weight earlier, they said.
"We're seeing adverse cardiovascular
risk factors developing in early childhood," cardiologist Dr. Thomas Kimball, who headed the study, told reporters.
"We have an obesity epidemic in children. One way to look at this is that the obesity
epidemic of kids today is going to be the heart disease epidemic 20 years from now."
Kimball said previous research
showed that the earlier children hit the BMI rebound, the more likely they were to become obese
later in life.
Ways to address the problem
are well known, Kimball said, including a more healthful diet, more exercise & less sedentary time watching TV or playing
video games.
"It's the same old thing.
But the frustrating thing about that is getting people to actually practice it," he said. "It's a family phenomenon. It's
not just the child's problem. Most of the time, the parents have a weight problem as well. The whole family has to get on
board."
source: click here
  
Obesity
Overview
From Healthwise
What is obesity?
Being obese means having so much body fat that your health is in danger. Having too much body fat can lead to type
2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, sleep apnea & stroke.
Because of these risks, it's
important to lose weight even if you do not feel bad now. It's hard to change eating habits & exercise habits. But you
can do it if you make a plan.
How do I know if I am obese?
You can
use a measurement called a body mass index, or BMI, to decide whether your weight is dangerous to your health. The BMI is
a combination of your height & weight. If you have a BMI of 30 or higher, your extra weight is putting your health in
danger.
Use the Interactive Tool:
Weight & Health Risks -Click here to see the interactive tool - to check your body mass index.
Where you carry your body
fat may be as important as how many extra pounds you have. People who carry too much fat around the middle, rather than the
hips, are more likely to have health problems. In women, a waist size of 35 in. (88.9 cm) or more raises the chance for disease.
In men, a waist size of 40 in. (101.6 cm) or more raises the chance for disease.
What causes obesity?
When you
take in more calories than you burn off, you gain weight. How you eat, how active you are & other things affect how your
body uses calories & whether you gain weight.
If your
family members are obese, you may have inherited a tendency to gain weight. And your family
also helps form your eating & lifestyle habits, which can lead to obesity.
Also,
our busy lives make it harder to plan & cook healthy meals. For many of us, it's easier to reach for prepared foods, go
out to eat, or go to the drive-thru. But these foods are often high in fat & calories. Portions are often too large. Work
schedules, long commutes & other commitments also cut into the time we have for physical activity.
There
is no quick fix to being overweight. To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you take in.
I've tried diets, but I always gain the weight back. What can I do?
Focus
on health, not diets. Diets are hard to maintain and usually don't work in the long run. It is very
hard to stick with a diet that includes lots of big changes in your eating habits.
Instead of a diet, focus on lifestyle changes
that will improve your health and achieve the right balance of energy and calories. To lose weight, you need to burn more
calories than you take in. You can do it by eating healthy foods in reasonable amounts and becoming more active. And you need
to do it every day.
Little steps mean a lot. Losing just 10 lb (4.5 kg) can make
a difference in your health.
Make a plan for change. Work with your doctor to develop
a plan that will work for you. Ask family members and friends for help in sticking with your plan. Ask your doctor to recommend
a dietitian to help you with meal planning.
When you stray from your plan, do not get upset. Figure out
what got you off track and how you can fix it.
How can I stick with all the changes?
It is hard to change habits. You have to be ready. Make sure
this is the right time for you. Are you ready to make a plan and stick to it? Do you have the support of your family and friends?
Do you know what your first steps will be? Becoming healthier and staying that way is a lifelong effort.
Most people have more success when they make small changes,
one step at a time. For example, you might eat an extra piece of fruit, walk 10 minutes more, or add more vegetables to your
meals.
Studies show that people who keep track of what they eat are
better at losing weight. Keep a notebook where you can write down everything you eat and drink each day. You may be surprised
to see how much you are eating. Use a calorie counter to add up your calories. (You can find calorie counters online and at
bookstores.)
As you keep track of calories, look at whether you skip meals,
when you eat, how often you eat out, and how many fruits and vegetables you eat. This will help you see patterns that you
may want to change.
You may want to write down the amount of physical activity you've
had each day and compare the calories you burned to those you took in. Use the Interactive Tool: Calories Burned - Click here
to see an interactive tool - to see how many calories you burn through daily activities.
Can I take medicines or have surgery?
Surgery and medicines do not work by themselves. Most people
also need to make changes in what they eat and how active they are.
Before your doctor will prescribe medicines or surgery, he or
she will probably want you to work on diet and activity for at least 6 months. Even if your doctor gives you medicines or
recommends surgery, you will need to stick with your new healthy habits for the rest of your life.
Your Child's Weight / KidsHealth.com
"What's the right weight for
my child?" is one of the most common questions parents have. It seems like a simple question. But, it's not always an easy
one to answer. Why not? People have different body types, so there's no single number that's the right weight for everyone.
Even among people who are the same height & age, some are more muscular or more developed than others. That's because
not all kids have the same body type or develop at the same time.
It's possible to find out
if your child is in a healthy weight range for his or her height, though - it just takes a little effort. You'll also be able
to put your child's measurements into our BMI calculator & get an idea of how your child is doing.
Growth & Puberty
Not everyone grows & develops
on the same schedule, but teens do go through a period of faster growth. During puberty, the body begins making hormones that
spark physical changes like faster muscle growth (particularly in boys)
& spurts in height & weight gain in both boys & girls. Once these changes start, they continue for several years.
The average person can expect to grow as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters)
during puberty before he or she reaches full adult height.
Most kids gain weight more
rapidly during this time as the amounts of muscle, fat & bone in their bodies changes. All that new weight gain can be
perfectly fine - as long as body fat, muscle & bone are in the right proportion.
Because some kids start developing
as early as age 8 & some not until age 14 or so, it can be normal for two kids who are the same height & age to have
very different weights.
It can feel quite strange
for your child to adjust to suddenly feeling heavier or taller. So it's perfectly normal for your child to feel self-conscious
about weight during adolescence - a lot of people do.
Figuring Out Fat Using BMI
Experts have developed a way
to help figure out if a person is in the healthy weight range for his or her height. It's called the body mass index, or BMI. BMI is a formula that doctors use
to estimate how much body fat a person has based on his or her weight & height.
The BMI formula uses height
& weight measurements to calculate a BMI number. This number is then plotted on a chart, which tells a person whether
he or she is underweight, average weight, at risk of becoming overweight, or overweight.
Figuring out the body mass
index is a little more complicated for teens than it is for adults (that puberty thing
again). BMI charts for kids & teens use percentile lines to help individuals compare their BMIs to those
of a very large group of people the same age & gender. There are different BMI charts for boys & girls under the age
of 20.
A person's BMI number is plotted
on the chart for their age & gender. Each BMI chart has 8 percentile lines for 5th, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 85th, 90th
& 95th percentiles. A child whose BMI is at the 50th percentile is close to the average of the age group. A child above
the 95th percentile is considered overweight because 95% of the age group has a BMI less than he or she does. A child below
the 5th percentile is considered underweight because 95% of the age group has a higher BMI.
Before you measure your child's
BMI, you'll need an accurate height & weight measurement. Bathroom scales & tape measures aren't always precise. So
the best way to get accurate measurements is by being weighed & measured at your doctor's office or school
What Does BMI Tell Us?
Although you can calculate
BMI on your own, it's a good idea to ask your child's doctor to help you figure out what it means. That's because a doctor
can do more than just use BMI to assess a child's current weight. He or she can take into account where your child is during
puberty & use BMI results from past years to track whether that child may be at risk for becoming overweight. Spotting
this risk early on can be helpful because the person can then make changes in diet & exercise before he or she goes on
to develop a weight problem.
People don't like looking
overweight, but weight problems get more serious than just how a child looks. People who are overweight as teens increase
their risk of developing health problems, such as diabetes & high blood pressure. Being overweight as a teen also makes a person
more likely to be overweight as an adult. And adults who are overweight may develop other serious health conditions, such
as heart disease.
Although BMI can be a good
indicator of a child's body fat, it doesn't always tell the full story. Someone can have a high BMI because he or she has
a large frame or a lot of muscle (like a bodybuilder or athlete) instead
of excess fat. Likewise, a small person with a small frame may have a normal BMI but could still have too much body fat. These
are other good reasons to talk about your BMI with your doctor.
How Can I Be Sure My Child Is Not Overweight or
Underweight?
If you think your child has
gained too much weight or is too skinny, a doctor should help you decide whether your child really has a weight problem. Your
doctor has measured your child's height & weight over time & knows whether he or she is growing normally.
If your doctor has a concern
about your child's height, weight, or BMI, he or she may ask questions about your child's health, level of physical activity
& eating habits. Your doctor may also ask about your family background to find out if your child has inherited traits
that might make him or her taller, shorter, or a late bloomer (a person who develops later
than other people the same age). The doctor can then put all this information together to decide whether your
child might have a weight or growth problem.
If your doctor thinks your
child's weight isn't in a healthy range, you will probably get specific dietary & exercise recommendations based on your
child's individual needs. Following a doctor's or dietitian's plan that's designed especially for your child will work way
better than following fad diets. For kids & teens, fad diets or starvation plans can actually slow down growth & sexual
development & the weight loss usually doesn't last.
What if your child is worried
about being too skinny? Most teens who weigh less than other teens their age are just fine. They may be going thru puberty
on a different schedule than some of their peers & their bodies may be growing & changing at a different rate. Most
underweight teens catch up in weight as they finish puberty during their later teen years & there's rarely a need to try
to gain weight.
In a few cases, kids &
teens can be underweight because of a health problem that needs treatment. If your child feels tired or ill a lot, or
if your child has symptoms like a cough, stomachache, diarrhea, or other problems that have lasted for more than a week
or 2, it's a good idea to talk with your child's doctor. Some kids & teens are underweight because of eating disorders,
like anorexia or bulimia, that require attention.
Getting Into Your Genes
Heredity plays a role in body
shape and what a person weighs. People from different races, ethnic groups & nationalities tend to have different body
fat distribution (meaning they accumulate fat in different parts of their bodies)
or body composition (amounts of bone & muscle vs. fat). But genes aren't destiny. No matter whose genes you inherit, you
can have a healthy body & keep your weight at a level that's normal for you by eating right & being active.
Genes aren't the only things
that family members may share. It's also true that unhealthy eating habits can be passed down, too. The eating & exercise
habits of people in the same household probably have an even greater effect than genes on a person's risk of becoming overweight.
If your family eats a lot of high-fat foods or snacks or doesn't get much exercise, your child may tend to do the same.
The good news is these habits can be changed for the better. Even simple forms of exercise, such as walking, have huge benefits
for a person's health.
It can be tough dealing with
the physical changes during puberty. But at this time, more than any other, it's not a specific number on the scale that's
important. It's making sure that your child stays healthy - inside & out.
Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: May 2005
Obesity Leaves More Americans With Physical Limitations By Serena Gordon, HealthDay Reporter - Tue Nov 6, 2007
TUESDAY, Nov. 6 (HealthDay News) -
If you're one of the millions of Americans carrying excess weight, a pair of new studies has good news & bad news for you. It turns out that a little extra weight may not shorten
your life but may make it harder to perform everyday activities as you get older.
The studies, which are published
in the Nov. 7 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, assessed the effect that weight has on mortality &
disability as people age.
The first study found that obesity is associated with functional impairments, such as the inability to bend over to pick
something up.
The second study compared
mortality rates in people of all different weights & found that weight affected the most likely causes of death, with
underweight people most likely to die of non-cancer, non-cardiovascular causes & obese
people most likely to die from cardiovascular disease or obesity-related cancers.
"People know that obesity places them at increased risk of diabetes & heart disease, but I think people don't always think about how the increased weight may affect quality of life & to do the things you
want to do," said the author of the first study, Dawn Alley, a Robert Wood Johnson Health & Society Scholar at the University
of Pennsylvania.
Knowing the potential effects
of overweight & obesity is becoming
increasingly important as Americans' waistlines are ever-increasing. According to the statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the incidence of obesity
in American adults has risen dramatically from the 1970s, when 15% of the population was considered obese.
Today, that number has more
than doubled to 33%.
Being overweight increases
your risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis & some cancers, according to the CDC.
Many of these conditions can
be controlled, at least partially, by medications & some research has suggested that may be why obese
people today may be healthier than they were a generation ago, according to background information in Alley's study. What
hasn't been well-assessed up to this point, according to Alley, is what effect overweight
& obesity may have on day-to-day living.
Alley & her colleague,
Dr. Virginia Chang, compared two sets of data collected for the National Health & Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES).
They looked at data from 1988 to 1994 & compared it to data from 1999 to 2004 on Americans over age 60.
The researchers looked for
difficulties in 2 disability assessments: functional impairment & activities of daily living (ADL). Functional impairments
include the inability to bend over to pick something up, walk 1/4 mile, walk up 10 stairs, lift 10 pounds & stand from
an armless chair.
Activities of daily living
are more basic skills, such as the ability to feed & dress yourself.
Functional impairments increased
5.4% between the 2 study periods for obese individuals. During the final study period, obese people had nearly a threefold increased risk of a functional impairment compared to normal-weight
peers.
That represents a 43% increase
in the likelihood of being functionally impaired for obese people, vs. their counterparts
of normal weight, the study said.
While the odds of having an
activities-of-daily-living impairment didn't increase between the study periods, the odds of an obese
person experiencing an activities-of-daily-living impairment were double that of a normal-weight person, because people
of normal weight saw a decrease in ADL impairments.
"Obese elderly people have
a higher risk of being disabled & the gap is increasing," Alley said. "Obese older persons
are experiencing a potentially preventable impairment. This is just one more reason we need to be concerned about obesity."
In the 2nd study, U.S. government
experts looked at specific causes of death based on weight. They also used data from NHANES but went back to 1971 & followed
up through 2004.
Interestingly, they found
that being overweight - that's a body mass index (BMI, a ratio of weight to height)
of 25 to 29.9 - wasn't associated with an increased risk of death from heart disease & cancer. But overweight was linked to a decreased risk of death from non-cancer, non-cardiovascular disease causes.
Being underweight - a BMI
of 18.5 or less - was associated with a significantly higher risk of death from non-cancer, non-cardiovascular disease causes,
according to the study.
Obesity - defined as a BMI
over 30 - was associated with increased heart disease mortality. When the 2 groups - overweight & obesity
- were combined, the risk of death from diabetes or kidney disease was higher.
And, obesity
was associated with an increased risk of death from obesity-related cancers, such as breast
cancer.
"The message here is that
it's not just that if you're heavier, you're at a higher risk of death from all diseases. It's a little more complex than
that," said the study's author, Katherine Flegal, a senior research scientist at the National Center for Health Statistics
at the CDC.
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Should I use prescription medicines to treat obesity?
Decision Point
From Healthwise
This information will help you understand your choices, whether you share in the decision-making process or
rely on your doctor's recommendation.
Key points
Many people
seek medical help in dealing with obesity. While medicines often promote weight loss, they may have side effects, and the weight loss may be temporary.
Consider the following when making your decision:
- If you are losing weight, even as little as 0.5 lb (0.23 kg)
per week, you may not get enough additional benefit from medicine to outweigh the cost and side effects.
- You will likely gain weight back after you stop using medicine.
- Weight-loss medicines generally are used only if you have tried
a weight management program that includes diet and exercise for at least 6 months and your body mass index (BMI) is 30 or more.
Talk to your doctor if your BMI is 27 to 30 and you have a condition
that is made worse by being overweight. These conditions
include high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, joint problems, and sleep apnea).
- If you are under severe stress, have an emotional illness such
as anxiety or depression, or have an alcohol or drug problem, you need treatment for this condition before using medicine. If
you don't treat it, it will make losing weight more difficult.
- It is not known whether it is safe for you to take medicines
for obesity for longer than 2 years.
Obesity found to lead to disability By Reuters - Tue
Nov 6, 2007
CHICAGO (Reuters) - An increasingly
aging U.S. population is faced with growing obesity-related problems ranging from disabilities
to chronic kidney disease, researchers said on Tuesday.
"Obesity is more hazardous
to the health of the elderly than we previously suspected," said Dawn Alley of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine,
whose study appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
"For an older person, suffering
from obesity means they are much less likely to be able to walk to the front door or pick up a bag of groceries," she said.
A second report from Johns Hopkins University in the same journal found that chronic kidney disease
is on the rise in the country because of increases in obesity, high blood pressure & diabetes, leading to more demand
for kidney dialysis & organ transplants.
The study from Pennsylvania, which compared data from a government health survey involving nearly 10,000 people
age 60 & over, found obesity on the increase along with the inability to walk a few blocks or even take 10 steps, stoop,
lift a moderate amount of weight, walk between rooms or stand up from an armless chair.
Such functional impairment
didn't change significantly among normal-weight individuals, but increased among the obese
by 5.4%, rising to 42.2% of people studied between 1999 to 2004, compared with 36.8% in a sample 5 years earlier.
"We believe that two factors
are likely contributing to the rise in disability among older, obese people," said Dr. Virginia Chang, who also worked on
the study.
"First, people are potentially
living longer with their obesity due to improved medical care & second, people are becoming
obese at younger ages than in the past. In both instances, people are living with obesity for longer periods of time, which increases the potential for disability," she said.
The kidney disease study,
based on U.S. government health surveys involving more than 28,000 people, found the prevalence of chronic kidney disease
rose to 13% of those studied in 1999-2004, compared with 10% of those studied in 1988-1994.
But awareness of the problem
remains low among the general public.
The researchers attribute
the increase to an aging U.S. population & rising rates of obesity, which can lead to
diabetes & high blood pressure.
The presence of chronic kidney
disease is determined by measuring persistent, excess protein in urine & the amount of fluid filtered by the kidneys.
Tracking what leads to end-stage kidney disease is crucial, "particularly given the increase in the prevalence of obesity, diabetes & hypertension,
the leading risk factors for chronic kidney disease," the researchers wrote.
(Reporting by Michael Conlon;
editing by Julie Steenhuysen and Todd Eastham)
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