Weight
Gain as Pre-Teens More Common in Girls
Girls are most likely to gain weight early in adolescence,
between the ages of nine and 12, according to a report in The
Journal of Pediatrics.
The health consequences of being overweight can be evident
in girls as young as nine, all of which points to the need to tailor prevention
efforts to ever younger ages.
"We really need to get to kids before age nine and 10, and
this really puts the pressure on elementary school, preschool, and whatever
societal institutions we have to really focus on young ages," says study co-author
Eva Obarzanek, Ph.D., RD, a research nutritionist at the National
Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
"This shows that obesity and other risk factors for heart
disease track from younger to older,” says Arlene Spark, Ed.D., RD, at
Hunter College in New York City.
“This is a wake-up call for policymakers, for schools,
for parents," says Dr. Spark. "The success rate for treatment is practically
zero. The only thing that we can really hope for is that we can prevent children
from becoming overweight and obese."
Dr. Bonita H. Franklin, at New York University School of
Medicine, adds, "Heart disease is the major cause of mortality in adults in
the US.
"This is implying that these factors which are known to
make heart disease more likely in adults are already present in young children,
so you would presume that there would be an increased health burden and probably
shorter life span for this next generation," explains Dr. Franklin.
The childhood obesity epidemic in the US continues to worsen.
Between 1976 and 1980, 4 percent to 6 percent of children were overweight.
By 1999-2002, that number had climbed to 16 percent.
Being overweight, even as a child, increases the likelihood
of having risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including higher blood pressure
as well as elevated cholesterol, triglyceride, and fasting insulin levels.
For this study, more than 2,300 girls ages nine and 10 were
enrolled and followed for at least a decade.
Researchers measured their height, weight, blood pressure,
and cholesterol every year through age 18, then had the teens report their
own measures at ages 21 through 23. Roughly half of the girls were Caucasian
and African American.
Rates of overweight among the participants increased through
adolescence, from 7 percent to 10 percent in the Caucasian girls and 17 percent
to 24 percent in the African-American girls.
Girls were 1.6 times more likely to become overweight when
they were aged nine through 12 than later in adolescence. And girls who were
overweight during childhood were 11 to 30 times more likely to be obese as
young adults.
Being overweight also made girls more likely to have elevated
blood pressure and cholesterol levels compared to girls of normal weight.
"We put a biological value to the definition that we use
for overweight for children," says Dr. Obarzanek. "We attach a health consequence
to that cut-off point. In these days of evidence-based medicine, this really
is strong evidence."
There were also racial differences, with African-American
girls 1.5 times more likely to become overweight at any given age than Caucasian
girls.
Between ages nine and 18, the prevalence of overweight was
higher among African-American girls (rising from 17 percent to 24 percent)
compared with Caucasian girls (rising from 7 percent to 10 percent).
The authors conclude that prevention efforts need to focus
both on younger ages and take into account differences.
Always consult your physician for more information.
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