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Updated: Aug 6, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Obesity in childhood and cardiovascular risk
1University of Western Australia, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, Royal Perth Hospital Unit and the Cardiovascular Research Centre, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. vburke@cyllene.uwa.edu.au
Insights
Childhood obesity is a growing global concern, leading to increased cardiovascular risk factors in children and persisting into adulthood. Early identification and intervention are crucial for preventing long-term health consequences.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Cardiovascular Health
- Public Health
Background:
- Childhood obesity rates are rising globally.
- Obesity in children is linked to numerous cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, and metabolic syndrome.
- Obesity during childhood often persists into adulthood, increasing the risk of serious cardiovascular events and mortality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity and its associated health risks.
- To emphasize the tracking of obesity from childhood to adulthood and its long-term cardiovascular implications.
- To underscore the role of familial factors and adverse health behaviors in childhood obesity and the need for interventions.
Main Methods:
- This abstract synthesizes existing research on childhood obesity and its cardiovascular sequelae.
- It reviews the association between childhood obesity and various risk factors like hypertension, dyslipidemia, and type 2 diabetes.
- The abstract discusses the tracking of obesity into adulthood and its impact on long-term cardiovascular mortality and morbidity.
Main Results:
- Childhood obesity is associated with a clustering of cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension, impaired vascular function, dyslipidemia, atheroma, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, systemic inflammation, and oxidative stress.
- Obesity in childhood tracks into adulthood, predicting adverse risk levels and increased cardiovascular endpoints, including higher all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and stroke risk.
- Parental obesity is a strong predictor of childhood obesity, and adverse health-related behaviors often cluster within families.
Conclusions:
- Childhood obesity is a significant public health issue with long-term cardiovascular consequences.
- Interventions targeting families and addressing clustered adverse behaviors are essential for preventing and managing childhood obesity.
- Early recognition and prevention strategies are vital for mitigating the lifelong health risks associated with childhood obesity.
Abstract:
1. Childhood obesity is increasing worldwide and is associated with an increase in cardiovascular risk factors in childhood. 2. In children, obesity is associated with hypertension, impaired vascular function, dyslipidaemia, atheroma, the metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, systemic inflammation and oxidative stress. Greater risk is associated with clustering of risk factors. 3. Obesity tracks from childhood to adult life and predicts adverse levels of risk and an increase in cardiovascular end-points. 4. Adults who were obese as children have higher rates of obesity and its sequelae: greater intima-media thickness, left ventricular hypertrophy and atherosclerosis. There is greater all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, as well as a greater risk of stroke, in long-term follow-up of obese children. 5. Genetic and environmental factors contribute to familial aggregation of obesity, with parental obesity as a strong predictor of obesity in children. However, clustering of adverse health-related behaviours is seen in such families. 6. Adverse behaviours (smoking, poor dietary choices, less physical activity and greater alcohol intake) also cluster in individuals, suggesting the need for multimodal interventions. 7. Recognition of families at risk offers opportunities for prevention of obesity in children and decreasing risk in parents.
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