Jul 19 2006
Obesity in Teens May Lead to Early Death
We’ve all heard the warnings about obesity in kids. Here is the latest scare; directed at teenage girls.
From Forbes:
Teenage girls who are obese run a three-fold greater risk of premature death in middle age, according to a new study in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
[...]
The researchers found that a higher-than-normal body mass index (BMI, a ratio of weight to height) at age 18 was associated with as much as a three-fold increased risk for death, compared with girls who had a normal BMI.
Hu said excess weight during adolescence can increase the risk for such diseases as heart disease and diabetes, both of which can lead to complications and death in adulthood.
“The link between childhood obesity and premature death is an important public-health issue,” Hu said. “Prevention at early ages is an important strategy to combat this problem.”
