It really makes me sad when I see a child who is obese. Not one who is just a little overweight, but really obese. I' m sad because of the health problems that the child will face over their lifetime, unless they lose the weight.
a near-doubling in hospitalizations with a diagnosis of obesity between 1999 and 2005
an increase in costs from $125.9 million to 237.6 million (in 2005 dollars) between 2001 and 2005
Medicaid appears to bear a large burden of hospitalizations for conditions that occur along with obesity (attention taxpayers!)
Charges for hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis of obesity increased by 66.3 percent annually
Among hospitalizations for which obesity was listed as a secondary diagnosis, affective disorders were the most frequent primary diagnoses, followed by pregnancy-associated conditions, asthma, and diabetes.
Depressive disorder was the most common diagnosis in the "other mental disorders" category. Surprised?
The leading diagnosis in the "other bone disorders" hospitalization group was slipped capital femoral epiphysis a well-known comorbidity of childhood obesity.
Teach children about good nutrition and exercise, set a good example and get help early, if needed. Don' t stand by and allow a child to become significantly overweight or obese and burdened by health problems for the rest of their life.
It really makes me sad when I see a child who is obese. Not one who is just a little overweight, but really obese. I' m sad because of the health problems that the child will face over their lifetime, unless they lose the weight.
So Health Affairs ' paper on the Effects of Childhood Obesity on Hospital Care and Costs caught my attention and I read it. Some of the key and alarming findings include:
a near-doubling in hospitalizations with a diagnosis of obesity between 1999 and 2005
an increase in costs from $125.9 million to 237.6 million (in 2005 dollars) between 2001 and 2005
Medicaid appears to bear a large burden of hospitalizations for conditions that occur along with obesity (attention taxpayers!)
Charges for hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis of obesity increased by 66.3 percent annually
Among hospitalizations for which obesity was listed as a secondary diagnosis, affective disorders were the most frequent primary diagnoses, followed by pregnancy-associated conditions, asthma, and diabetes.
Depressive disorder was the most common diagnosis in the "other mental disorders" category. Surprised?
The leading diagnosis in the "other bone disorders" hospitalization group was slipped capital femoral epiphysis a well-known comorbidity of childhood obesity.
Teach children about good nutrition and exercise, set a good example and get help early, if needed. Don' t stand by and allow a child to become significantly overweight or obese and burdened by health problems for the rest of their life.