I came across an interesting article today regarding yet another health concern that today’s overweight children are facing, gastroesophogeal reflux disease or GERD. Most of us are aware of the more obvious health issues such as diabetes or high blood pressure, but as one would expect there are others as well. Let’s face it, being overweight as a child is associated with some serious health concerns that were once thought to be only adult related diseases.
GERD is quite common in babies and typically goes away. The problem is that for older children, a recent study from Kaiser Permanente found that overweight children and teens were 30 percent more likely to have GERD than those at a normal weight. The problem with having GERD for many years is that the constant reflux puts those at a higher risk of developing esophageal cancer. This is just another health issue that can have some more long term health implications as children get into adulthood.
The growing list of health related issues related obese children all the more illustrates the importance of helping overweight children lose it and the need to better educate families so that we can prevent obesity in the first place.
If your child is already overweight then it is time to take a serious look and make some changes. Part of it involves modeling good exercise and eating habits. Often this is much easier said than done but well worth the effort. Limiting screen time is a good place to start. a recent study published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine found that teens with more than 2 hours of screen time a day had twice the risk of higher insulin levels suggesting insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is associated with diabetes.
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