Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges in the 21st century. The problem is global and growing at an alarming rate. In 2016, more than 41 million children under the age of 5 were overweight.
Overweight 4-year-olds have double the risk of high blood pressure by age 6. This initiates a chain of risk. Weighing too much leads to high blood pressure which increases the chance for heart disease if the weight problem tracks into adulthood which it often does However, the results of a study showed that children who returned to a normal weight were able to regain a normal blood pressure, lowering risk.
The researchers recommended women lose weight before pregnancy and avoid gaining excess weight during pregnancy and quit smoking as these are established risk factors for childhood obesity. They also called for more activity for young children both at home and in school and a healthy diet. Though these appear to be simple strategies, in actuality they are hard to implement on a global level.
