What are the risk factors of the rise obesity among children and adolescents?

Evaluating Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Children and Adolescents
Roseann T Spiotta, Gregory B Luma. American Family Physician. Leawood: Nov 1, 2008. Vol. 78, Iss. 9; pg. 1052, 7 pgs

This article discusses the increase in obesity of children and adolescents. Obesity has been a growing health problem in the United States for years. “According to the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 17 percent of persons two to 19 years of age are overweight” (Spiotta and Luma). In the past twenty years, the number of obese children tripled. Children who are obese at a young age tend to continue their obesity as adults. Obesity is dangerous because it is linked to many cardiovascular problems like hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. These cardiovascular diseases have been usually linked with adults. However, since there is such a rapid increase in obesity of children, they are encountering these diseases before adulthood. Hypertension in children ranged from 1-3% of the population. However, now 5% of the children have it. Childhood hypertension may lead to adult hypertension which is a major risk factor for coronary artery disease and stroke (Spiotta and Luma). There has been a great increase in the number of children with type 2 diabetes, which is parallel to the rise in obesity. “The 2003-2004 NHANES found that 10 percent of persons two to 19 years of age have serum total cholesterol levels greater than 200 mg per dL” (Spiotta and Luma). Studies showed that children who had higher BMI’s had higher cholesterol levels.
This means that along with a rise in obesity among children, there is also a rise in adult cardiovascular diseases among them. Diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia are diseases that were once linked with just adults. Now, however, children as young as two years old are being diagnosed. Obesity is linked to all of these diseases. As there is an increase in obesity, there is also an increase in these diseases.