Kids As Young As 10 Getting Heart Disease
Obesity problem worsening
Obese toddlers require hospital admission
Fizzy drinks, junk food and lollies at fault
Some toddlers are becoming so obese they need to be admitted to hospital, according to a Victorian obesity expert.
Dr Matt Sabin, co-head of the Royal Children's Hospital weight management clinic warns the obesity crisis is worsening rapidly, citing three-year-olds weighing 35kg and 15-year-olds carrying 200kg presenting for treatment at the clinic.
"We're not talking about a little bit of extra weight, we're talking about severely obese children," Dr Sabin said.
"It is getting worse - the numbers are not getting higher but the degree of obesity is getting worse."
Dr Sabin says he also sees:
Families who feed their children fast food every night of the week
Obese kids with adult medical conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and early-stage liver disease
Toddlers regularly drinking fizzy drinks and eating chips and lollies
About 60 patients at the Royal Children's Hospital’s child obesity clinic have type 2 diabetes, reports Dr Sabin, who says they are getting younger. Most are about 14-18 years of age, but some are as young as 10.
"Five years ago, one child every three or four months was being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, now it's one every three or four weeks," he said.