Identifying Children at Risk for Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Disease

In Brief Critical periods for the development of childhood obesity have been established. Health care providers should recognize these periods for initiation of interventions to prevent obesity because treatment options once obesity occurs are limited. Greater body weight predisposes children to many of the medical complications of obesity found in adults, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, impaired glucose metabolism, and hyperinsulinemia. Race, genetic predisposition, sedentary lifestyle, duration of overweight, and underlying conditions are major determinants of risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, not all adolescents with these characteristics share a similar risk for developing these conditions. The appropriate risk stratification for adolescents could guide clinicians in recognizing overweight youth who are at higher risk of developing pre-diabetes, diabetes, or CVD and lead to a prompt intervention.