Extreme Obesity

Extreme obesity affects about 6.4% of children, according to a Kaiser Permanente study that suggests overweight kids are getting even heavier.

More children are graduating from “obese” to “extremely obese,” according to the study, the first to evaluate kids using U.S. guidelines published last year that distinguish among degrees of obesity. The report drew from the electronic medical records of 710,949 patients ages 2 to 19 years old enrolled in 2007-2008 in Kaiser health programs in Southern California.

First Lady Michelle Obama began a nationwide campaign against childhood obesity last month, urging American youths to get more exercise and develop healthier eating habits. Studies by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have shown that the rising childhood obesity rate has leveled off at around 17% in recent years.

The Atlanta-based CDC last year defined extreme obesity as those whose body mass is 120% of the 95th percentile.

For a 10-year-old girl who is 4 feet 6 inches tall, extreme obesity starts at 129 pounds. For an 18- year-old boy who is about 5 feet 10 inches, 272 pounds is classified as extremely obese.

The high rate of extreme obesity in the study surprised doctors, even though children in Southern California are slightly heavier than the national average.

About 7.3% of boys and 5.5% of girls were extremely obese, translating to about 560000 children and adolescents in California.

Children who are extremely obese have higher risk of heart illness than obese patients, as indicated by increased rates of hypertension, high cholesterol and elevated liver enzymes. The best way for parents to help obese children is to involve the entire family in eating healthier meals and exercising.

Without major lifestyle changes, these kids face a 10-to- 20-years shorter life span and will develop health problems in their 20s that we typically see in 40-60 year olds.