HHS HealthBeat (August 18, 2006)

Young, big and hurt

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I'm Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Kids who carry too much weight also carry a higher risk of injuries, some of them serious. A National Institutes of Health study finds that the chance of a bone fracture, or muscle joint pain, is higher among overweight children and teens.

Dr. Jack Yanovski of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development was senior author of the report in the journal Pediatrics:

"Once children become heavy, the bones appear to become more likely to be deformed and connected in a misaligned fashion. That can lead to pain in the joints, and can also lead children to have a little more difficulty moving around – maybe be a little bit more clumsy." (14 seconds)

Yanovski says kids can be more active to shed weight – and if they don't, they might have more problems with joints and fractures later.

Learn more at www.hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: September, 26 2006