Childhood obesity should be treated mentally and physically

By Nick Rees

One third of American children are obese or at risk of being so, the Institute of Medicine has reported, with one in five children in the U.S. predicted to be obese by the end of 2010.

"Obesity is a rising trend in the nation," Dr. Audrey Cheung-O'Carroll, MD, selected as a Chicago Top Doctor by TopTierMD as a top rated family medicine practitioner in Chicago, says. "Obesity is a big problem as we're seeing younger and younger people gaining weight, which can result in chronic problems, including high blood pressure and diabetes."

Other chronic problems that may arise from childhood obesity include metabolic syndrome, asthma and other breathing problems, and sleep disorders.

Childhood obesity rates have jumped from 16 percent in 2002 to 17.1 percent in 2004. They are expected to reach 20 percent in four years, the Institute of Medicine's report says.

There are many reasons for the rise in overweight and obese children, from genetics to eating habits to limited amounts of physical activity.

Obese children, studies have shown, are also more likely to become obese as adults. One study has found that 80 percent of children who were overweight at aged 10 to 15 years were obese adults at 25 years of age.

Dr. Cheung-O'Carroll says that, in addition to the physical problems childhood obesity carries, mental health problems are also a large problem for obese children.

"Obesity plays on all aspects of your health," Dr. Cheung-O'Carroll says. "A 200-plus pound girl's self esteem is definitely affect by obesity, as is their social feeling."

Dr. Cheung-O'Carroll says that, to counter those negative feelings, her practice performs counseling to increase the self esteem of obese children.

"We try to increase their self esteem to motivate them to lose weight healthily rather than through diet pills," Dr. Cheung-O'Carroll says. "We try to take a purist's route rather than just tell them to take a magic pill or get surgery. With education and more counseling, these children can take charge of their own lives and not have to come in for more visits.

"It's a mind-body experience for people. It's not enough to just treat the physical condition, you have to also address the other things in a patient's life that can contribute to the problem."

Dr. Audrey Cheung-O'Carroll, MD, was selected by TopTierMD as a Chicago Top Doctor and is considered Best in Family Medicine in Chicago. She specializes in Preventative Health and Wellness and Sports Medicine.