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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

The Immediate Burden: Childhood Obesity is Associated with Increased Overall Healthcare Use. A cross-sectional study

Barak Hermesh1, Noga Fallach2, Galia Zacay1

  • 1Meuhedet Health Services, Tel Aviv, Israel; Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Academic Pediatrics
|June 28, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric obesity significantly increases healthcare resource utilization (HRU) in children and adolescents. Higher weight categories, especially severe obesity, correlate with more hospitalizations and medication use, underscoring the need for early intervention.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Public Health
  • Health Services Research

Background:

  • Pediatric obesity is a growing public health concern with potential long-term health and economic consequences.
  • Understanding the immediate impact of weight categories on healthcare resource utilization (HRU) in youth is crucial for resource allocation and intervention planning.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between weight category and healthcare resource utilization (HRU) among children and adolescents.
  • To analyze HRU, including visits, hospitalizations, and medication purchases, in relation to pediatric weight categories.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cross-sectional study utilizing electronic medical records of 238,304 Israeli children aged 6 to 18 (2021-2024).
  • Youth categorized by CDC BMI percentiles into weight categories.
  • Healthcare resource utilization adjusted for socioeconomic status and population group.

Main Results:

  • A graded association was observed between increasing weight category and higher HRU.
  • Severe obesity (Class 3) in children (6-11 years) was linked to 1.5 times higher odds of hospitalization.
  • Adolescents (12-18 years) with Class 3 obesity showed 2.1 times higher odds of using psychiatric and chronic disease medications compared to normal-weight peers.

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric obesity imposes an immediate and escalating burden on healthcare systems.
  • Higher rates of psychiatric and chronic disease medication use in adolescents with severe obesity highlight significant clinical impacts during childhood.
  • Urgent interventions targeting metabolic and psychosocial health are necessary to reduce the substantial healthcare burden associated with pediatric obesity.
Abstract

Keywords:
AdolescentBody Mass Index (BMI)Healthcare utilizationPediatric obesitySevere obesity

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