The Detroit News. What worries doctors the most is that obesity and inactivity are linked to several serious medical conditions traditionally seen in adults, including type 2 diabetes, which they are seeing in record numbers and which was previously unheard of in the young. We expect kids will begin as early as age 20, and this will place a tremendous financial burden on the nation.
Lifestyle changes are the biggest culprit.
The number has gone up dramatically in the last two decades and there are several serious health consequences. Rajakumar has seen myriad other childhood health woes that he attributes to obesity. Extra folds of flesh in the throat can obstruct airways, causing sleep apnea, or periodic cessation of breathing, he says. Excess weight can cause joint problems in growing bones, too, he said. One example is slipping of the femoral head, which occurs when the head of the thigh bone pops out of the hip socket.