Home
>
Weight Loss
>
Obesity, Whats The Big Deal Part 4

Obesity, Whats The Big Deal Part 4

In this issue, I am going to focus more on some of the consequences of obesity, especially as it relates to children. Although this is focusing on children, think of how it relates to you. Also, if you have kids, what are you teaching your kids about health?

This growing problem is getting so prevalent; there are even articles which refer to the "obesogenic" environment of schools. What they are saying is that society has come to accept "fatness" in its populace and even in the kids. So much so in fact, that they have stopped building gymnasiums in some schools. Add to this the horrendous quality of some cafeteria foods and/or the vending machines dispensing nothing of quality.

There are movements abreast around the world that are aiming to rid the schools of the pestilence of junk food dispensing machines. Hooray for that! I recently read in the Ecologist that some people are waging a war against a major soft drink company with their own form of embargo. This company is not the only company that should be having an economic war waged against it. In general, we need to move away from the highly processed foods and move towards whole food consumption.

As has been mentioned in earlier articles, obesity contributes to a variety of conditions such as heart problems, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and more. One of these problems, high blood pressure (HBP), is now becoming a growing problem in children. HBP has also been associated with an increased risk of dementia. Studies have demonstrated that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables as well as possibly dairy may be able to help with childhood HBP levels.

Overweight among young people has increased dramatically. Between 1980 and 1994, children and adolescents considered to be overweight increased by 100% in the United States. About 15% of 6 - 19 -year-olds are currently overweight and there are even greater rates of overweight among minorities or those who are economically disadvantaged. Overweight youth are more likely to be overweight as adults, and are more likely to have medical risks associated with cardiovascular disease than other children and adolescents.

Consequences of Overweight in Children and Adolescents

Health consequences related to overweight can begin in childhood or adolescence; overweight children and adolescents are at increased risk for various chronic diseases in later life.

The psychosocial consequences of overweight are also significant. This problem has been linked to social discrimination, a negative self-image in adolescence that often persists into adulthood, parental neglect, and behavioral and learning problems.

Common Medical Consequences of Overweight

? Hyperlipidemia: A group of disorders characterized by increased bad fats and decreased good fats in the blood.

? Glucose intolerance: A precursor of diabetes.

? Hepatic steatosis: The fatty degeneration of the liver. High concentrations of liver enzymes are associated with this and have been found in overweight youths. Weight reduction will help to normalize hepatic enzymes. Hyperinsulinemia also may play a role in hepatic steatosis.

? Cholelithiasis: The presence of stones in the gallbladder.

? Early maturation: Characterized by adolescents with a skeletal age more than 3 months in advance of chronological age, and is associated with increased fatness in adulthood

Less Common Medical Consequences of Overweight in Children

? Hypertension: Persistently elevated blood pressure occurs with low frequency in children. However, elevated blood pressure occurs approximately 9 times more frequently among children who are overweight compared to other children.

Acute Complications of Overweight

Acute complications of overweight are those that require immediate medical attention. Patients should be referred to a center that specializes in pediatric overweight where possible.

? Sleep apnea is the cessation of breathing lasting at least 10 seconds during sleep, characterized by loud snoring and labored breathing.

? Pseudotumor cerebri is characterized by increased pressure in the skull that causes headaches. It is a rare disorder.

? Obesity hypoventilation syndrome, also known as Pickwickian syndrome, may be a cause of sleep apnea, but this relationship remains unclear. Aggressive therapy is warranted for children with obesity hypoventilation syndrome.

? A variety of orthopaedic complications affecting the feet, legs, and hips can occur.

Management of Overweight in Children and Adolescents

Strategies used in a management plan for overweight are based on information obtained from the assessment. Weight loss is recommended only if complications such as hyperlipidemia or hypertension are identified or for children 7 years or older with a BMI-for-age at or above the 95th percentile. Otherwise, weight maintenance is recommended.

Individualized recommendations.

Each family has its own set of supports and stresses. Because success with weight management can be difficult to achieve, recommendations for change must consider the family's readiness for change, family support, financial concerns, and neighborhood characteristics (including access to play areas and grocery stores). Unless the situation is understood fully, recommendations for change may not be targeted appropriately.

Treatment should begin early, involve the family, and institute permanent changes in a stepwise manner. Parenting skills are the foundation for successful intervention, which includes a gradual targeted increase in physical activity and targeted reductions in high-fat and high-calorie foods.

So in the end, we need to focus not only on ourselves but the environments that are promoting this epidemic. As a colleague mentioned to me, to truly heal, the whole community must be involved. If we all sit back and wait for someone else to do something, nothing will ever be done.

Yours in Health,

Dr. Marshal Montgomery @ http://www.HealthyUnderstanding.com

References 1. The Bad News About Prevalence, the Good News About Treatments -- But Pay Attention to the Details, Linda Brookes, MSc ,Medscape Cardiology. 2005; 9 (1): ?2005 Medscape. 2. Overweight Children and Adolescents: Recommendations for Screening, Assessment and Management, Authors: Barbara Polhamus, PhD, MPH, RD; Diane Thompson, MPH, RD; Sandra L. Benton-Davis, BS; Christopher M. Reinold, MPH, RD, LD; Comm. Laurence M. Grummer-Strawn, PhD; William Dietz, MD, PhD 3. Prevention of Overweight and Obesity: Focus on Children and Adolescents, Patricia Markham Risica, DrPH, RD 4. Obesity, Jonathan Q. Purnell, M.D. 5.American College of Physicians Issues Guidelines for Obesity Management CME News Author: Laurie Barclay, MD CME Author: Charles Vega, MD, FAAFP All were sourced from medscape.com

Disclaimer: As always, check with your health care provider to see if this information applies to you. Due diligence is your responsibility. This information is meant to supplement your knowledge, not to replace your own decision making process or take the place of your health care provider.

This is a commercial newsletter provided free by HealthyUnderstanding.com. For weight loss and other health care products go to http://www.road2health.net. For a quick BMI calculation go to http://www.road2health.net.

This newsletter may be distributed in its entirety without alteration. If you wish to use it in your publication, a copy of your publication would be appreciated. Please send it to DrM@healthyunderstanding.com

Dr. M. Montgomery is the creator of http://www.road2health.net and is a practicing Chiropractor in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - 371 Kenderdine Rd, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 3S5.

emergency cleaning services Glencoe ..

In The News:

The iconic Mary Kay pink Cadillac goes electric with the Cadillac Optiq, available only to the company's top 1% of sales force performers.

Cybercriminals abuse trusted Intel driver to gain kernel access and shut down Windows Defender, enabling undetected malware deployment since July 2025.

Using email aliases for online shopping and subscriptions can protect your privacy by preventing companies from linking your activity across websites.

New research shows AI overlap does not equal job replacement, with knowledge-based roles seeing most integration while physical jobs remain least affected.

Scammers target seniors who avoid social media by exploiting public records like obituaries and real estate filings to steal personal information and money

Recovery team in Italy use AI-enabled drones to detect missing hiker's red helmet, leading to successful recovery after months of ground searches

Google Salesforce system breach exposes business data while scammers use incident to target users with fake security calls and phishing attempts.

Google announces Pixel 10 lineup with Tensor G5 chip and Gemini Nano AI, introducing Magic Cue, Pro Res Zoom up to 100x and satellite emergency support features.

C San Diego study reveals 86% of school safety companies monitor students 24/7 on personal devices, raising privacy concerns.

Users can now add their favorite outlets' coverage to the Top Stories section of Google search results by utilizing the 'preferred sources' feature. With just a few clicks, you can add Fox News.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS shows an unexpected frontal glow that Harvard's Avi Loeb says cannot be explained by sunlight reflection or standard cometary outgassing.

Receiving order confirmations for purchases you never made could mean your email address is being exploited in fraud operations targeting multiple retailers.

First wireless brain implant works with Apple's official protocol, enabling hands-free control of iPhones, iPads and Vision Pro through thought alone.

Data brokers sell personal details that scammers use to target retirement funds through fake financial advisor calls and convincing phishing attempts

Ten innovative tech solutions from gait sensors to smart pill dispensers help adults 65+ track fall risks and prevent injuries before they happen.

Meta AI internal documents revealed chatbots were allowed to flirt with children and engage in romantic conversations until the company was exposed by Reuters.

ChatGPT will avoid giving direct mental health advice under new OpenAI rules following instances where the AI model provided harmful or misleading responses.

Your phone tracks you in more ways than that little GPS icon suggests. Here’s how to find and clear hidden location logs on iPhone and Android.

Authorities in France and the Netherlands have been notified. Meanwhile, impacted customers are being told to stay alert.

Apple just rolled out a redesigned Blood Oxygen feature to specific models, following a recent victory in a legal dispute.

Kidney dialysis provider DaVita experienced a ransomware breach by the Interlock gang affecting 916,000 people in the second-largest U.S. healthcare attack of 2025.

A Chinese-made Unitree R1 robot walked Manhattan streets and shopped for shoes as part of KraneShares' $28 million AI robotics fund promotion campaign.

The ShinyHunters cybercriminal group breached Google's Salesforce system through vishing attacks, stealing business contact details and customer data.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Obesity, Whats The Big Deal Part 4

Weight Loss