Children with a BMI in the 95th percentile are at risk for serious health problems, according to a new report. (Photo: Robert Lawton via Wikimedia Commons)

Obese children face many more immediate health issues and are at increased risk for medical, mental and developmental problems than was previously thought, according to a new report.

The study based on UCLA research found that obese children – those with a Body Mass Index (BMI) in the 95th percentile or above - are nearly two times more likely to have three or more physical or mental conditions than kids with a healthy weight.

Overweight children – those with a BMI in the 85th to 95th percentile – had about 1.3 times higher risk of developing adverse health conditions.

While most previous research focused on long-term health problems which could develop during adulthood, this study looked at the immediate consequences of childhood obesity.

The findings were based on information taken from a much wider and larger sample of participants than previous similar studies, according to researchers. Fifteen percent of the children studied were considered to be overweight and 16 percent were obese.

Compared to their normal-weight peers, obese children were more likely to be in poorer health, have more disabilities and more emotional and behavioral problems, such as having to repeat a grade, missing school and other educational difficulties.

Children classified as obese were also more likely to have conduct disorders, depression, learning disabilities, developmental delays as well as physical ailments such as bone, joint and muscle problems, allergies, headaches, asthma and ear infections.

“This study paints a comprehensive picture of childhood obesity, and we were surprised to see just how many conditions were associated with childhood obesity,” said lead author Dr. Neal Halfon, a UCLA professor who directs the Center for Healthier Children, Families and Communities. “The findings should serve as a wake-up call to physicians, parents and teachers, who should be better informed of the risk for other health conditions associated with childhood obesity so that they can target interventions that can result in better health outcomes.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) considers childhood obesity to be “one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century.” In 2010, the WHO found there were more than 42 million children under five worldwide who are overweight. Close to 35 million of those children live in developing countries.

Turns out obesity isn’t just a health issue;  all of that overeating could seriously cut into the future world food supply.

According to a new study from Great Britain, if the current worldwide obesity epidemic continues unabated, maintaining enough food to feed the world could actually become a much more serious challenge.

Right now, the world’s population is over seven billion, and growing.  The more people there are, the more food and resources are needed.

According to the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine,  the weight of the human population should be taken into consideration – in addition to the number of people in the world -  when determining future food security and environmental sustainability.

Using data from various studies, researchers determined the world’s adult population weighs 287 million metric tons, or 287 billion kilograms.

Separately, we each weigh an average of 62 kilograms, but that average varies from country to country.

Researchers estimate 15 million of that 287 metric tons is due to those who are overweight, while 3.5 million metric tons are due to obesity.

North Americans have the highest body mass of any continent, according to the study, with an average body mass of 80.7kg.

While North America has only about six percent of the world’s population, it contributes 34 percent of the world’s biomass.

Asians, on the other hand, whose average weight is 58 kilograms, make up around 61 percent of the world’s population, but they’re only responsible for roughly 13 percent of the world’s biomass.

Among nations,  the United States came in as the “heaviest” country, while Eritrea was the “lightest”.

The researchers also looked at how those who are overweight and obese impact the total weight and averages.

Keep in mind that there is a difference between being overweight and obese.

You’re considered to be overweight when you weigh more than the weight that is appropriate for your height and bone structure or have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 or greater.

If you have BMI of 30 or more, medical experts consider you to be obese.

Experts say that up to half of all food that is eaten is burned up by various physical activities.  But as your weight rises, your energy requirements increase as well, because it takes more energy to move a heavy body.

Even when at rest, those who have a bigger body mass burn more energy.

So, the bigger you are, the more energy you’ll need; the more energy you need means you must eat more; the more food eaten by a growing world population could  then, in turn, impact affect food supplies and future food security.

Soybeans being harvested (Photo: Jake was here via Wikimedia Commons)

The domino effect of a heavier populace can also affect environmental sustainability.  Because in order to feed, cool or warm and transport a heavier population, more natural resources, such as fossil-fuels, will be needed and consumed.

Sarah Walpole, a practicing medical doctor who co-authored the study,  worries people from developing nations, who tend to be thinner than those in developed countries, will be most at risk of food insecurity.

“If our global consumption for food or our demand for food are increasing, it going to be those poor populations that feel the impact most,” she says.

One of the areas researchers want to study next is the impact the global child population has on the world’s total human biomass.

Dr. Walpole joins us on this week’s radio edition of “Science World.”  Check out the right column for scheduled air-times or listen to the interview with Dr. Walpole below.

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Other stories we cover on the “Science World” radio program this week include:

• Kenyan conservationists preserve endangered sea turtles
• Ocean levels rising faster on US coasts than elsewhere in the world
• 2009 swine flu deaths were much higher than first reported
• Crisis mapping helps first-responders do their jobs in times of disaster
• Gastric Bypass Surgery, Alcohol Not a Good Mix for Some