Published by PMR of NY & CT
When a pediatrician mentions your child's weight, the bigger question is often what it could mean years from now. The honest answer is hopeful as well as serious.
The long term effects of childhood obesity mostly come from two things: a higher weight that continues into adulthood, and health changes, such as rising blood pressure or blood sugar, that start early and have more years to add up. Neither is set in stone. Healthy family routines, regular checkups and early treatment can change a child's path.
What are the long term effects of childhood obesity?
Children and teens with obesity are more likely to have obesity in adulthood, and that chance is higher for teens than for young children. Over the decades, it can raise the risk of:
- Heart disease and stroke
- Type 2 diabetes and its complications
- Liver disease
- Knee and hip arthritis, and back pain
- Depression and anxiety
- Some cancers that are linked with obesity in adults
Every child is different. Many of these problems can be prevented or delayed, and none of them is a certainty.
Heart, blood sugar and liver health later in life
The artery changes that lead to heart disease can begin in childhood. Research links childhood obesity with higher blood pressure and cholesterol, and with thicker, stiffer arteries by early adulthood. Over time, that can bring heart disease or stroke at a younger age.
Type 2 diabetes that starts in childhood or the teen years tends to progress faster than diabetes that starts in adulthood. Because it begins so early, there are more years for complications to develop, and kidney, eye and nerve problems can appear by young adulthood.
Fat in the liver, which is common in children with obesity, can slowly lead to scarring if it continues. In some people, that scarring progresses to cirrhosis in adulthood.
Joint pain and arthritis in adulthood
Joints carry the body's weight every day, so extra load from an early age adds up. Obesity is one of the strongest risk factors for knee osteoarthritis in adults, and research also links a higher weight in childhood with knee pain later in life. A hip growth plate problem that is more common in children with a higher weight can also lead to hip arthritis in early adulthood.
Pain then makes it harder to stay active, which makes fitness and weight harder to manage. Treating joint pain early and building strength around the knees, hips and back can help people of any age keep moving.
Emotional and social effects that can last
Some long term effects of childhood obesity are emotional rather than physical. Weight stigma, including teasing and bullying about weight, can shape how a person sees their body for years. Research links it with depression, anxiety, disordered eating and avoiding exercise, patterns that can carry into adulthood.
Steady, judgment-free support at home, at school and at the doctor's office helps protect a child's mental health over time. If your child or teen is in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), or call 911.
Changing the path starts in childhood
The growing years are a real opportunity. Research suggests that when children with obesity reach a healthier weight by adulthood, their risks of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol and artery thickening can be similar to those of people who never had obesity.
What helps most over time:
- Regular well-child visits, so the pediatrician can track growth and check blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar when needed
- Early treatment of related problems before they progress
- Shared family routines around food, movement and sleep that kids carry into adulthood
- Activities your child enjoys enough to keep doing for years
If you had obesity as a child
Adults who grew up with a higher weight can take the same approach. Ask your doctor whether your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar should be checked, and how often. Finding and treating problems early helps protect your heart, kidneys and eyes.
Call 911 for chest pain or pressure, sudden trouble breathing, or signs of stroke such as a drooping face, weakness in an arm or leg, or slurred speech.
Frequently asked questions
Will my child grow out of their weight?
Some children do, especially younger ones whose weight evens out as they grow taller. But obesity in older children and teens often continues into adulthood, and the chance is higher when a parent also has obesity. Rather than waiting to see, ask your child's pediatrician what goal makes sense for your child's age and growth, and start building healthy family routines now.
Can the long term effects of childhood obesity be reversed?
Many can improve. High blood pressure, blood sugar problems and fatty liver often get better with healthier habits, changes in weight and, when needed, medical treatment. Earlier is better, because some changes, such as joint damage or diabetes complications, are harder to undo once they develop. Your child's pediatrician can tell you which issues to watch and how to track them.
Does childhood obesity affect life expectancy?
Obesity that continues into adulthood is linked with a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, all of which can shorten life. That describes risk across large groups of people, not a prediction for any one child. Healthier routines, early treatment and steady support can lower risk at any age, and starting early gives them more years to help.
Stay active for the long run
Healthy habits last longest when your body feels good enough to keep moving. If knee, hip or back pain is getting in your way, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation of NY & CT (PMR) offers physical therapy and other care to help you keep going, while your child’s pediatrician guides their growth. Request an appointment and our team will contact you to schedule.
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