Child obesity is growing at an alarming rate in this country. How big is the problem? About one-third of children between the ages of six and nineteen were found to be either overweight or at risk of being overweight in 2002. Unfortunately, excessive body weight and obesity are more than just a cosmetic problem for children. Studies show that being overweight as a child can have health consequences that extend even in adulthood. One area of concern relating to the overweight child is the potential risk of heart disease.
A Study

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2007, demonstrated that a child's heart health may be at risk when he or she is allowed to carry excess pounds. The researchers looked at the BMI's of children between the ages of seven and thirteen who had these measurements taken annual. BMI is short for body mass index which gives an objective measure of how overweight a child is. Both the overweight and normal children were followed for forty-six years into adulthood. During this time, the researchers looked at how many of these children developed heart disease or heart attacks as adults to see if there was an association between being overweight as a child and the risk of developing heart disease as an adult.
The Study Results

The results of this study showed a linear relationship between childhood BMI and the risk of developing heart disease as an adult. The higher the BMI of the overweight child and the older the child's age when he had that BMI, the more elevated the risk of heart disease as an adult. Even more disturbing was the fact that even small elevations of BMI increased the risk of heart disease. Plus, being overweight at ages as young as seven, increased the risk of heart disease as an adult.
The Reality of the Overweight Child

It appears that the overweight child carries the health risks of being overweight into adulthood, at least when it comes to heart disease. This suggests that if a child is overweight, it shouldn't be dismissed as being “just baby fat” and an effort should be made to reduce excess weight to avoid health problems later in life.
What Can You Do if Your Child is Overweight?

Most importantly, if your child is overweight, it should be considered a medical problem that needs to be corrected with dietary and lifestyle changes. Lifestyle changes would include less television and computer time and more time devoted to outdoor activities. Ask your child's pediatrician to refer you to a good dietician who can formulate a meal plan that's appropriate for your child's age and size. It can also help to make positive lifestyle changes that involve the whole family so your child won't feel like he's being singled out.

If your child is overweight, you can help him enter adulthood with a lower risk of certain adult diseases, particularly heart disease if you make those important lifestyle and dietary changes now.