Rise in childhood obesity could shorten life spans
By Pam Belluck
International Herald Tribune, 18 March 2005
For the first time in two centuries, the current generation of
children in America may have shorter life expectancies than the
parents, according to the new report, which contends that the rapid
raise in childhood obesity, if left unchecked, could shorten life
spans by as much as five years.
The report published in The New England Journal of Medicine, says
the prevalence and severity of obesity are so great, especially in
children that the associated diseases and complications Type 2
diabetes, heart diseases, kidney failure, cancer are likely to
strike people at younger ages.
The report says the average life expectancy of adults today,
roughly 77 years, is at least four to nine months shorter than it
would be if there were no obesity. That means that obesity is
already shortening average life spans at a greater rate than
accidents, homicides and suicides combined, the authors say.
And they say that because of obesity, the children of today could
wind up living two to five years less than they otherwise would, a
negative effect on life span that could be greater that that caused
by cancer or coronary heart disease.
Obesity is such that this generation of children could be the
first, basically, in the history of the United States to live less
healthful and shorter lives than their parents, said Dr. David
Ludwig, director of the obesity program at Childrens Hospital
Boston and one of the authors of the report.
There is an unprecedented increase in prevalence of obesity at
younger and younger ages without much obvious public health
impact, Ludwig said. But when they start developing heart attack,
stroke, kidney failures, amputations, blindness, and ultimately
death at younger ages, then that could be a huge effect on life
expectancy.