Childhood obesity is a growing and worrying problem for a few years. However, far from being solved, pediatricians are watching how the problem is getting bigger over time.
In a series of posts we are commenting on the main aspects of this table, in order to bring to any father and mother (or person interested in this topic) all the necessary information that allows him to face (better prevent) this situation.
In this post we discuss an aspect as important as the symptoms and complications that an obese child may present, in the short and long term.
The purpose is to make us aware of the importance of the repercussion that excess weight can have on children, not only in the medium and long term, but also immediately, as we will see after the jump.
The biggest problem with obesity is that in itself, it not only does not appear to be harmful, but that in certain circles or people it may even be well seen, as it is considered a sign of "good health."
However, this is not only false (associating overweight with good health), but some effects do occur from the start, and others, which are shown after years of evolution, can be so harmful that they can even shorten hope of our children's lives.
Symptoms of obesity in young children
The main symptoms that occur in the short term as a result of obesity or overweight maintained are:
** Easier to suffer from hypertension and hypercholesterolemia (should always be monitored in overweight children).
** Low adaptation to exercise.
** Greater ease to suffer asthma episodes.
** Psychological problems such as isolation, depression and anxiety arising from isolation and teasing from their peers, or the difficulty of performing in sports and games.
** Problems to integrate socially when feeling isolated.
** Difficulty sleeping well, which is derived from frequent snoring and awakening. This in turn results in the presence of daytime sleepiness, which can reduce school performance.
** A fatty infiltration of the liver can occur, which is reflected in blood tests and liver ultrasound.
** Bone problems due to arching of the legs and increased risk of fracture of the head of the femur.
** Tables at the neurological level that come to simulate brain tumors by increasing intracranial pressure.
** Metabolic syndrome: occurs when there are certain analytical alterations as a result of obesity, such as liver enzyme alterations, cholesterol, ions, uric acid, etc.
Consequences of obesity in young children
The main complications that occur in the medium and long term as a result of obesity or overweight are:
** The risk of cardiovascular mortality is multiplied by two.
** Fatty liver infiltration, which is reflected in blood tests and liver ultrasound, which over time can be serious since it can degenerate into liver failure, a very serious and fatal disease in the long run.
** Metabolic syndrome, which predisposes in the long run to a high risk of death from cardiovascular problems.
** Bone complications (bowing of the legs, destruction of the hips)
** At the level of metabolism, symptoms that predispose to suffer from diabetes, abnormalities of the period in adolescents and even ovarian pathology, such as the presence of cysts, can occur.
In summary, obesity is not a banal picture that can be solved "as soon as the child is controlled a little", since the consequences, as described, are suffered from the moment when overweight is present, and may affect throughout the child's life.
The importance of this post is that it is essential to know the problems that our children may suffer, in order to raise awareness and understand that obesity, until now very well tolerated by advanced societies, should begin to be seen as a serious problem, and Never eat anything anecdotal.
