Health Consequences of Obesity

Overview

Journal Arch Dis Child

Specialty Pediatrics

Date 2003 Aug 26

PMID 12937090

Citations 484

Authors

J J Reilly

E Methven

Z C McDowell

B Hacking

D Alexander

L Stewart

C J H Kelnar

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The recent epidemic of childhood obesity(1) has raised concern because of the possible clinical and public health consequences.(2,)(3) However, there remains a widespread perception among health professionals that childhood obesity is a largely cosmetic problem, with minor clinical effects. No systematic review has yet focused on the diverse array of possible consequences of childhood obesity, though older non-systematic reviews are available.(4,)(5) In addition, no review to date has considered the vast body of evidence on the health impact of childhood obesity which has been published recently. The aim of the present review was therefore to provide a critically appraised, evidence based, summary of the consequences of childhood obesity in the short term (for the child) and longer term (in adulthood).

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