Childhood Obesity - Overview
Obesity refers to an excess amount of body fat. It is a common occurrence in adults because of a sedentary lifestyle. However, the sudden and sharp rise of obesity in children and adolescents is concerning; it has shockingly gone up by 400% over the past 30 years. Childhood obesity adversely affects a child’s health in the short as well as long run. The extra kilos of weight give children health problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, which are usually more common among adults and the elderly. This condition also increases the risk of early onset adult health conditions, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, reproductive problems, joint pains, etc. Childhood obesity can also lead to poor self-esteem and depression. As most children do what they