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Baby Fat.
Study: Even U.S. toddlers are obese
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Even toddlers in the United States are obese, and they are not only overweight, but are showing early signs of diabetes and other diseases associated with being fat, researchers say.
To their alarm, the researchers found that sending such children to a specialist did not seem to help them get to healthier weights.
"Perhaps the epidemic of obesity can be stopped if we intervene very early with an intensive behavioral modification program," Dr. Emily Liu of Kaleida Health's Women's and Children's Hospital in Buffalo, New York, said in a weekend statement.
"Children at risk of obesity must be identified very early, even at the preschool level," said Liu, who led the study. "Obese children often have obese parents, so an effective family-based multi-factor intervention program should begin as soon as obesity is diagnosed."
Liu and colleagues looked at the medical records of 385 children seen by endocrinologists -- hormone specialists -- at the hospital between 1984 and 2002. Most of the children were already obese, defined as being in the 85th percentile for weight
The parents were instructed on proper diet and exercise for their children and were advised to meet with a dietitian. But two years later, the children were, on average, even more overweight, the study found.
"Clearly, referral to pediatric endocrinologists and dietitians is not effective in treating childhood obesity," said Liu. "An effective weight-loss program should not only focus on children, it should also include the parents and the school system. Obese children likely have obese parents. High-calorie school lunches may add to the problem."
The children also had high levels of insulin, which can lead to type-II diabetes.
"In fact, the incidence of type two diabetes in children has risen significantly in recent years, along with high prevalence of obesity," said Dr. Teresa Quattrin, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Buffalo.
Abnormally high insulin levels were found in children as young as 4 years old, the researchers told a meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Seattle.
In addition, 13 percent of 147 children tested had abnormal liver-function tests, the researchers said. These tests are an indication of a condition called fatty liver, which is common in obesity, and can in turn lead to cirrhosis.
More than 60 percent of Americans are classified as obese or overweight, which raises the risk not only of diabetes, but of heart disease and certain cancers.
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As you may know, I consider junk food - the terrible processed high-calorie, high sugar, high cholesterol "food" that is sold to Americans and that Americans habitually consume to be a serious issue.
The obvious symptom of a terrible diet is obesity. It's getting worse daily. Do you consider it a serious issue too?
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create evolution
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