What are the risk factors for obesity? What predicts which children will become obese as adults?
Here are a few psychological and behavioral risk factors that have been identified:

– Diet restriction. Children who try to restrict the types and amounts of foods they eat on a consistent basis are more likely to be obese as adults.

–  Compensatory behaviors. Children who try to undo the calories they ate by using laxatives or exercising for excessive time periods are more likely to be obese as adults.

– Depressive symptoms. Children who score higher on surveys that assess depressive symptoms (such as low mood) are more likely to be obese as adults.

– Parents who are overweight. Children who have overweight and obese parents are more likely to be obese as adults.

People that are obese are more likely to also have the following health problems: sleep apnea, respiratory problems, cancer, type 2 diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis (excessive body weight causes joints to degenerate).

To find out what a healthy weight is for you or your child, please visit this website.

For good tips on how to help your child maintain a healthy weight, please visit this website.

*Information from a lecture by Dr. Surwit of Duke University, 9/2006