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and type 2 diabetes are just two of the weight-related illnesses that an overweight child might develop in his early years, and carry with him throughout life. Diabetes alone can cause additional severe health problems later in life.

FACT: obese parents increase the chance of obesity in their children.
A 1983 study reports that children with two obese parents are at the greatest risk of becoming obese themselves. Once thought to be primarily genetic, new studies are showing that parental models of eating and exercise habits have a greater impact than chromosomes.

FACT: obesity is related to poor brain and body development.
The same factors of nutrient-poor diets that often contribute to obesity also cause immunodeficiencies and delayed brain development. Some studies are trying to prove the relationship between learning disabilities and obesity.

FACT: childhood obesity is preventable and reversible.
No child is destined to become obese. Medical treatments, nutrition counseling, and fitness advice is available for families concerned about weight management for their children.

Childhood is a time of life you can never get back. Throughout these years, a child's brain and body is expected to develop at mind-boggling rates, and obesity can severely hinder physical, mental, emotional, social, and educational development. Understanding the facts of childhood obesity is one of the first steps to taking action to reverse and prevent this alarming trend.

Learn more about this author, Kimberly Dawn Wells.
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