Will obesity in children cause mobility issues in later life?

Mobility issues?

In a nutshell, yes, obesity in children seriously impact the healthy growth of a child's bones and joints. If left to get out of hand, obesity can cause many health and social problems formed in childhood which could cause deformity, pain, and potentially, a lifetime of limited mobility in later life.

In addition, excess weight can cause vitamin deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, and increased stress and tension that can affect overall musculoskeletal health.

So, what exactly is obesity?

The terms obesity and overweight are the labels that we use for weight ranges that exceed those considered to be healthy for a given height, age and sex. The weight ranges can be identified as percentiles through both a child or adults body mass index (BMI). This is set down by the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). Anything at, or above the 85th percentile and lower than the 95th percentile are considered overweight or obese.

In this month of June when we celebrate Global Parents Day we should consider what our lifestyles, if left unchecked, are doing to the long term health of our children. As young adults we now see sports activities as a good social outlet where we can mix with our friends and colleagues. However if our joints are already struggling from early years of abuse, sports injuries can be, and are, more prevalent. There are a range of complications in young adults and children arising from obesity and overweight in childhood years.

Complications from obesity in children

• Poor musculoskeletal health

• Blounts disease

• Fractures and related complications

• Flat feet

• Impaired mobility

• Femoral Epiphysis; a disorder of the hips

In Ballsbridge Physio we have built our business on treating many of the ailments associated with sports injuries, back pain, foot pain, arthritis etc. However, what is becoming more alarming is the age profile of the people attending the practice. Nobody wants to get older, but it’s the only sure thing in life and we would rather see the average age of our patients going up and not down. Injury prevention through activities like pilates and wellness in the workplace can help moderate or eliminate any associated injuries. So, let’s think what that sugary treat is doing to our children? Draw a line in the sand now before it gets too late.

We all want to live a long and fruitful life, and that goes even more for our children.