Obese children more likely to develop gallstones
Health Risks of Overweight and Obesity
Morbidity
Dyslipidemia,
The Dyslipidemia is manifested by:
Gallstones
The risk of gallstones increases with adult weight. Risk of either gallstones or cholecystectomy is as high as 20 per 1,000 women per year when BMI is above 40, compared with 3 per 1,000 among women with BMI < 24. According to NHANES III data, the prevalence of gallstone disease among women increased from 9.4 percent in the first quartile of BMI to 25.5 percent in the fourth quartile of BMI.
Among men, the prevalence of gallstone disease increased from 4.6 percent in the first quartile of BMI to 10.8 percent in the fourth quartile of BMI.
Osteoarthritis
Individuals who are overweight or obese increase their risk for the development of osteoarthritis. The association between increased weight and the risk for development of knee osteoarthritis is stronger in women than in men. In a study of twin middle-aged women, it was estimated that for every kilogram increase of weight, the risk of developing osteoarthritis increases by 9 to 13 percent. The twins with knee osteoarthritis were generally 3 to 5 kg (6.6 to 11 lb) heavier than the co-twin with no disease. An increase in weight is significantly associated with increased pain in weight-bearing joints. There is no evidence that the development of osteoarthritis leads to the subsequent onset of obesity. A decrease in BMI of 2 units or more during a 10-year period decreased the odds for developing knee osteoarthritis by more than 50 percent; weight gain was associated with a slight increase in risk.
A randomized controlled trial of 6 months’ duration examined the effect of weight loss on clinical improvement in patients with osteoarthritis. Patients taking phentermine had an average weight loss of 12.6 percent after 6 months while the control group had an average weight loss of 9.2 percent. There was improvement in pain-free range of motion and a decrease in analgesic use in association with weight loss; patients with knee disease showed a stronger association than those with hip disease.
Similarly, improvement of joint pain was observed in individuals who had undergone gastric stapling, resulting in an average weight loss of 45 kg (99 lb).
Sleep Apnea
Obesity, particularly upper body obesity, is a risk factor for sleep apnea and has been shown to be related to its severity. The major pathophysiologic consequences of severe sleep apnea include arterial hypoxemia, recurrent arousals from sleep, increased sympathetic tone, pulmonary and systemic hypertension, and cardiac arrhythmias. Most people with sleep apnea have a BMI > 30. Large neck girth in both men and women who snore is highly predictive of sleep apnea. In general, men whose neck circumference is 17 inches or greater and women whose neck circumference is 16 inches or greater are at higher risk for sleep apnea.
