Texas Children's Hospital - Fact Sheet: A snapshot of the obesity crisis

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Fact Sheet: A snapshot of the obesity crisis

General

More than 61 percent of Texas adults and 40 percent of children are overweight or obese.
Co-morbidities of obesity include type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, hypertension (high-blood pressure), sleep apnea, gallstones, gastroesophageal reflux and osteoarthritis. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, the diseases associated with obesity are increasing at the same rate as obesity itself.
The obesity crisis is not confined to the United States. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared excessive weight as one of the top 10 health risks in the world and one of the top five in developing nations.

Childhood obesity

In Houston, 36.2 percent of children ages 6 to 17 are overweight. Within this population, 19.2 percent are obese.
A child who is obese by age 12 has more than a 75 percent chance of becoming an obese adult.
Risk factors for heart disease, high cholesterol and high-blood pressure are higher for overweight children and adolescents compared to children with healthy weights.
The most immediate consequences of being an overweight child are psychological problems, such as poor self-esteem and depression.

The cost of obesity

It’s estimated that Americans spend approximately $50 billion on diet and weight-loss products annually.
Increased medical costs linked to obesity are comparable to the increased medical costs of smoking and problem drinking.
According to a National Hospital Discharge Survey, obesity-associated annual hospital costs among children tripled in the past three years due to a doubling of diabetes cases, a tripling of gallbladder disease and a five-fold increase in sleep apnea.