Obese children are developing chronic health conditions usually only seen in middle-aged adults, according to a study by the SA Medical Research Council.
Nearly half (46.1%) of the children had high blood pressure, almost a third (30.2%) had abnormal cholesterol levels and 5% had either prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. All the children were under the age of 12, and just more than a quarter of them were under the age of five.
“It’s very concerning, but it is reversible,” said the study’s lead author, Medical Research Council senior scientist Nasheeta Peer. Reducing a child’s weight could reverse obesity-related problems ranging from cardiometabolic abnormalities to musculoskeletal problems and asthma.
The study found a strong association between these obesity-related conditions and unhealthy habits that are known to contribute to weight gain. Almost half the children (47.9%) consumed sugary soft drinks every day, 43.5% spent more than two hours a day on screens, and just over two fifths had less than 30 minutes of daily physical activity.
“We must intervene early if we want to reverse the trend,” Peer said. “Without action, we’re looking at a generation facing high rates of heart disease and diabetes by the time they reach adulthood.” Overweight children are significantly more likely to become overweight adults.
The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Obesity Pillars, is the first of its kind to assess obesity-related health complications in SA children under the age of 12.
It is in line with international research showing a growing number of obese children are developing serious conditions that place them at risk of heart attacks, strokes and kidney problems later in life, Peer said.
The prevalence of obesity in children in SA increased from 10.6% in 2005 to 13.3% in 2016, according to the 2019 SA Child Gauge report. The 2017 national income dynamics survey found 16% of children aged five to nine, and 22% of those aged 10 to 14, were overweight or obese, with higher rates among children living in urban neighbourhoods than those in the rural areas.
The researchers analysed the health records of 430 children treated for obesity at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal from 2012 to 2022. The average age of the children was seven.
The researchers found a strong family history of obesity, diabetes and hypertension among the children, suggesting that genetics and the family environment contributed to their obesity.
“A child with at least one obese parent has a four times greater risk of obesity [than a child with no obese parents], while the greatest risk for childhood obesity is obesity in both parents,” Peer said.
The study authors said dealing with childhood obesity should not be left to families alone, and called for a broader response that tackled the easy availability of cheap unhealthy foods, the lack of safe recreational spaces for children and limited access to health services.
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