Ok...so more bad news on childhood obesity. Studies this past week point to the fact that obese children have a far greater chance of not living past 55 years of age. Another way to put it...the children of today may not live as long as their parents. What a statement about our society. Last week, Michelle Obama launched her new effort to address this very issue. Hats off to her. This is a huge subject to tackle. It won't be easy, and she will need all the help she can get.
Bottom line message on childhood obesity:
Parents, please wake up and look at your children. Look at what they eat. Look at how they spend their time. Look at how much time they spend on the couch doing nothing. Look at how much computer screen time they have every day. Look at what they eat for lunch. Look at what they have for snacks. Look at yourself in the mirror and see what kind of example you are setting.
A recent editorial from the New England Journal of Medicine (Download Childhood obesity) is a worthwhile read for all those interested.
What's your take on this?
Once again, fatty liver disease is in the news, and again, it's about kids. A recent post I had discussed fatty liver disease and the obesity epidemic we are facing in kids. A new article posted yesterday repeats the concern-our kids will die of liver failure if we don't wake up and face this problem now.
"In a new and disturbing twist on the obesity epidemic, some overweight teenagers have severe liver damage caused by too much body fat, and a handful have needed liver transplants.
Many more may need a new liver by their 30s or 40s, say experts warning that pediatricians need to be more vigilant. The condition, which can lead to cirrhosis and liver failure or liver cancer, is being seen in kids in the United States, Europe, Australia and even some developing countries, according to a surge of recent medical studies and doctors interviewed by The Associated Press.
The American Liver Foundation and other experts estimate 2 percent to 5 percent of American children over age 5, nearly all of them obese or overweight, have the condition, called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
"It's clearly the most common cause of liver disease," said Dr. Ronald Sokol, head of public policy at the liver foundation and a liver specialist at Children's Hospital and University of Colorado Denver.
Some experts think as many as 10 percent of all children and half of those who are obese may suffer from it, but note that few are given the simple blood test that can signal its presence. A biopsy is the only sure way to diagnose this disease." Read the full article
For both adults and children, obesity needs to be curbed. The thought of our children having a shorter life expectancy than their parents is child abuse.
Listen here for a recent KTRH interview I did with JP and Lana during the Morning News.
A recent article in the journal Hepatologydiscussed Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in children, and addressed the role of lifestyle modifications in correcting this serious public health threat we are now facing. The article in full can be read here.
Obesity is a national emergency. While adult obesity has been on the radar screen for more than a decade now, childhood obesity is now a problem on its own. Let's do the math on this. Obese adults are prone to developing "adult onset" diabetes, usually after the age of 50. This will lead to complications related to increased cardiovascular mortality, as well as renal failure, nerve problems, and blindness. The cost of all this in adults is in the billions of dollars yearly.
Now we are seeing children develop these very diseases their parents or grandparents develop-at age 15. These children will develop premature heart disease, and all of the problems mentioned above, decades earlier. I cannot even begin to dream of what this will cost. If you are upset with the cost of the war in Iraq, buckle in for the price tag to pay for this. I am still looking for the protesters demanding the immediate pullout of excessive calories and fatout of the menus of chain restaurants across America.
The good news in this article is that lifestyle modifications do help reduce some of the obesity related liver issues that arise in NAFLD.