In American adolescents aged 12 to 19, the obesity rate has more than tripled from 5 percent to 17 percent over the last three decades, according to the Institute of Medicine. Research suggests that these children are likely to remain overweight into adulthood. One study showed that about 80 percent of kids who were overweight from ages 10 to 15 will be overweight as adults, and another found that 25 percent of obese adults were overweight kids. These children are at risk for weight-related health problems in the future and overweight kids are more likely than their slimmer counterparts to show risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease like type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure.
Source and pictures Reuters Terri Coles
