According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of obese children and adolescents went from 19% before the pandemic to 22%, and the rate at which the body mass index (BMI) increased has doubled.
New research from the University of Georgia, published in the journal Pediatric obesity, suggests that it could spell bad news for children’s cardiovascular systems both now and in the future.
Cardiovascular problems
The study measured levels of abdominal visceral fat and arterial stiffness in more than 600 children, adolescents, and young adults. Visceral fat is fat found in the abdomen that infiltrates vital organs. Arterial stiffness forces the cardiovascular system to work harder to pump blood throughout the body.
The researchers found significantly higher levels of visceral fat and arterial stiffness in overweight youth, suggesting that abdominal fat likely contributes to cardiovascular problems in children.
Another concern is that children are increasingly being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, a condition previously seen only in adults. Being overweight is a major risk factor. Of the study participants, 145 had been diagnosed with the disease. The most serious problem is that many body systems tend to break down at a faster rate if the disease occurs during the growing years than in adulthood.