Research reveals another serious side effect of childhood obesity

Here’s another downside to childhood obesity — as if we needed another, beyond the fact that it puts kids at risk for almost every ailment under the sun. (Including those we used to see only in much older adults, like fatty liver, sleep apnea, and joint problems.)

Now we learn that obesity prevents children’s bodies from being able to take advantage of good nutrition even when they get it. And we know that many kids who are obese aren’t getting the best nutrition to begin with. So every little bit of nourishment they do get needs to count.

In a study just published in the journal PLOS One, researchers gave omega-3 fatty acid supplements to kids of different weights and looked at how much ended up in their bloodstreams.

What they found should give every parent pause. The results showed that the more a kid weighed or the higher their BMI, the lower the omega-3 fatty acid levels in their bloodstream.

That’s important because omega-3s can help prevent some of the most worrisome conditions associated with childhood obesity — including high blood pressure, inflammation, and heart disease.

Just another reason that we need to get this childhood obesity epidemic under control. Our kids’ lives depend on it.

 

Source:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170405143927.htm