Chubby isn’t so cute anymore. Today we are seeing more seriously overweight and obese children at much younger ages. Childhood obesity, especially extreme obesity, puts a child at high risk for the early onset of serious health problems, including diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Childhood obesity can also lead to GERD – gastroesophageal reflux disease. GERD is a chronic condition in which the liquid contents of the stomach splash up into the throat. This inflames and damages the lining of the throat and can increase the incidence of coughs, asthma and inflammation of the voice box. Worse, untreated GERD can cause lasting damage that increases the risk of cancer. Esophageal cancer is the nation’s fastest growing cancer, expected to double in frequency in the next 20 years. Many researchers suspect this rise is related to our nation’s obesity epidemic.
