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Obesity In Children Is Showing Warning Signs Of Stroke and Heart Disease

According to research, Obesity in Children is getting out of control. In the UK alone, around 27 per cent of children are now overweight and suffering from obesity. Childhood obesity is getting more serious and health experts believe that these figures will continue to grow unless obesity in children is tackled. So what causes obesity in Children? One of the main problems is the lack of exercise children have as well as the junk food and the unhealthy food that children eat.

Research has found that many overweight children have parents who are overweight which means the children are following in their parents footsteps and it becomes a matter of the family’s lifestyle.

Childhood obesity was not seen as a major problem some years ago, but now with research finding what damage obesity in children can do; parents are now becoming aware that obesity in their children needs to be tackled.

According to research, children as young as five who suffer from childhood obesity are showing signs of serious health issues which can seriously increase the risk of stroke and heart attack in later life.

It is not just later life that obesity in children is causing concern; children who are overweight can suffer from serious health issues now. The research found that some children who suffered from being overweight and obese have raised blood pressure, cholesterol as well as other health issues that can increase their chances of having a stroke or heart attack. The research found that obese children could increase their chances of having a heart attack or stroke by 40 per cent and that is why action needs to be taken now.

The findings from Oxford University have scared some health experts who have said childhood obesity is more serious than they first thought.

The study comes after New York City decided to deal with childhood obesity head on by banning large sugary drinks in the hope that the ban will help tackle obesity in children. Health experts and MPs are calling on the UK government to take obesity in children more seriously and follow in the footsteps of New York and ban large sugary drinks.

The study involved 49,220 healthy children between the ages of five and 15 where the study measured weight and one or more known cardiovascular disease risk factors, which included high blood pressure, high cholesterol and blood glucose levels.

Lee Hudson and Russell Viner at the UCL Institute of Child Health in London said: “provides a stark illustration of the probable threat that childhood obesity poses to disease burden in the population.”

Dr Carl Heneghan, reader in evidence-based medicine at the University of Oxford and a co-author on the paper, said: "The relationship between obesity in children and cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure was much greater than we anticipated.

"The magnitude of the effect of obesity upon increasing cardiovascular risk in children is deeply worrying in terms of their future risks of heart disease.

"Obesity is one of today’s most visible, yet highly preventable health problems. The good news is these risk factors can readily be reversed with exercise, good diet, and maintaining a health a weight. Based on what we have found policymakers should make the epidemic of obesity in children as a priority for urgent public health action."

Dr Matthew Thompson, reader in primary health care at the University of Oxford, said: "Being overweight as a child is more than just about appearance – many children's hearts and blood vessels are already getting damaged when they are overweight or obese.

"Young people, their parents and doctors, and our politicians are in this together – we need to find better ways that we can put a stop to the obesity epidemic. New York's banning of oversized sodas is exactly the type of public health intervention we need at this point.

"Knowing that your heart and blood vessels are already damaged by being overweight or obese might help children and their parents put changes in place to change eating and lifestyle habits."

The report shows that parents and the government need to take obesity in children more seriously a tackle the problem head on. There are many thinks that you can do if you have an overweight child which includes encouraging your child to eat healthier as well as encouraging your overweight child to exercise more and join them with their exercise routine which could be as simple as playing football in your local park for half an hour each day.

Obesity In Children Can Cause Complications

Unfortunately if your child suffers from obesity or if your child is overweight then he or she is more likely to develop serious health problems that are related to obesity. By not tackling obesity head on, your child could develop serious health issues in the future.

These health issues could develop when your child becomes an adult or they could happen early on and more often or not, overweight children become obese adults.

Obesity in children can affect your child as he or she becomes an adult and they are according to health experts, more likely to develop the following health issues:

    High blood pressure

    Type 2 diabetes

    High cholesterol levels

    Asthma

    Development problems in the feet

    Liver disease

    Sleep apnoea

Obesity In Children Can Affect Their Emotional And Mental Health

It is not just the physical health of your child that you need to take into consideration; obesity in children can also affect your child’s emotional and mental health. Obesity in children brings a lot of problems and that is why it is important to seek health to combat your child’s obesity problem. A child that is overweight may suffer from low confidence or low self-esteem, a child who is obese can also suffer from eating problems that include bulimia, and depression.

What Causes Obesity In Children

There are a number of factors we need to think about when looking at the reason why more and more children are becoming obese. Causes of obesity can include:

 Eating a poor diet, for example too many high-fat and sugary foods

Inactivity, for example, not doing enough exercise and spending too much time watching television or in front of a computer

Genetic (inherited) conditions, though these are rare

Obesity In Children Help

We can help you and your children if you suffer from obesity. If you feel that your child is overweight and worried that this could lead to your child being obese then call our head office now for free advice. We work all over the UK and help children with obesity problems to become healthy by using a whole range of techniques which include Gastric Band Hypnotherapy which is also known as Gastric Band Hypnosis.

Call our Head Office today for free advice or a free consultation on 0151 678 3358 or call Claire Hegarty as seen on television directly on, 07714 853524