Risks of Childhood Obesity

There are many benefits of a healthy diet and consistent exercise, especially for young children. The eating habits boys and girls establish as children can influence their actions for years to come. In the past 30 years, childhood obesity has increased from 6.5 percent to 19.6 percent in children ages 6 to 11 and has more than tripled in teenagers.

Childhood obesity could lead to unexpected health problems that require medical attention. Unfortunately, this care can be prohibitively expensive without insurance. If you need to secure health insurance coverage for yourself or for a member of your family, contact the California health insurance experts at Catherine Michaels Insurance Services by calling 1-888-875-9888.

Dangers of Childhood Obesity

The New England Journal of Medicine reported in 2010 that overweight children were two times more likely to die before the age of 55 than were children with an average weight. Additionally, overweight children have a greater risk of developing diabetes or high blood pressure. Other health risks include:

• Higher risk of cardiovascular disease
• More likely to become overweight adults
• More likely to develop adult health issues like heart disease, strokes, and osteoarthritis
• Asthma
• Sleep apnea

It is very important for children to practice healthy eating habits and engage in daily exercise in order to live a healthy life. Establishing a healthy lifestyle early on will benefit your child greatly as he or she grows up.

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Another part of maintaining a healthy life is making sure your family has the health insurance they need to receive medical care if problems ever arise. For more information on health insurance coverage, contact the California health insurance experts at Catherine Michaels Insurance Services by calling 1-888-875-9888.