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Obese
Children, Teens Have Poorer Quality Of Life Monday
April 14, 2003
Obese children and adolescents are more than five times more likely to have a
poorer health-related quality of life (QOL) than healthy children. In fact,
their risk for a lower QOL is about equal to that of children undergoing
chemotherapy for cancer, according to the results of a new study.
Jeffrey Schwimmer, MD, and colleagues from the University of California, San
Diego, pointed out that while childhood obesity is a well-known cause of health
problems, including long-term problems that might eventually lead to an early
death, the most widespread consequences might be psychological and social in
nature. The researchers reported their results
in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Vol. 289, No.
14:1813-1819). Childhood Obesity On The Rise Childhood obesity is defined as having a
BMI (body mass index - a ratio of weight to height) greater than that of 95% of
others of the same age and sex. In the US, childhood obesity has reached
epidemic proportions over the past two decades. About 15% of children now meet
this definition, more than twice the level in 1980, according to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Obesity causes a host of childhood
health problems, including diabetes, high cholesterol levels, high blood
pressure, and fatty liver disease. What's more, childhood obesity is linked to a
number of problems as these children become adults. Obesity in adulthood has
been linked to heart disease, as well as several types of cancer, including
breast, colon, endometrial, esophageal, and kidney cancer. But many of the obstacles obese children
face may be more of an immediate concern, and extend beyond just the physical
aspects of health. Study: Problems In Obese Children Far-Reaching To get a better idea of the effect of
obesity on children's quality of life, Schwimmer and colleagues studied a group
of 106 children and adolescents who were referred to their clinic for treatment
of obesity. Each child or teen filled out a
questionnaire that asked about their physical, emotional, social, and school
functioning. Parents also were asked to separately complete the questionnaire.
The results were quantified as a score between 0 and 100, with higher scores
indicating a better quality of life. These results were compared to those
from the same questionnaires given to healthy children, and to children
undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer -- the group shown to have the
lowest quality of life scores among chronic illnesses in previous studies. The average overall score for obese
children was 67, compared to 83 for healthy children. The differences were about
the same when individual categories (physical, emotional, etc.) were looked at
separately. When the grading was done by the parents, the differences were even
more striking. The overall scores for obese and healthy children were 63 and 88,
respectively. Obese children were more than five times
more likely to have an "impaired" quality of life when compared to
healthy children. No single physical factor seemed to account for the
differences, and the results were not affected by age, sex, race, or
socioeconomic status. Obese children were about as likely to
have a lower quality of life as children undergoing cancer treatment. This was
surprising, noted the researchers, because the obese children weren't being
exposed to the intensive medical interventions that children with cancer often
go through. Adults Need To Be Aware Of Quality Of Life Issues In Children The study authors suggested that better
awareness among adults is needed to address these issues. More thorough research
is also needed in this area, as quality of life in childhood obesity has not
been well studied. "Obesity is one of the most
stigmatizing and least socially acceptable conditions in childhood," the
authors concluded. "It is critical for physicians, parents, and teachers to
be aware of the risk for impaired QOL in these children and adolescents." |