# Is the childhood obesity epidemic mostly media hype? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 5, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531 "2011-01-05T20:18:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/61 "2011-01-07T01:23:01Z")
When **Tripolar** mentioned the use of meds, I knew exactly what he was talking about. Just as the diagnosis of ADD/ADHD in children has seemed to have increased through the years, so has the diagnosis of unipolar and bipolar depression, anxiety disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and other neuropsychiatric diseases such as Tourette’s and OCD. Back in the day, parents and teachers didn’t know what a warning sign was, let alone which ones to look for, so many problems went undiagnosed. Also, there may be some hypervigilence going on too. Most of the drugs prescribed for the named conditions are associated with weight gain. Risperdal is one that’s commonly prescribed to kids on the autistic spectrum, for instance. Just looking at that drug for too long will give you the munchies. “Acting out” has become medicalized. What used to be an incorrible youth has been transformed into a “diseased” youth, whether it be ADHD, mood disorder, or neurological disorder. When I was in the sixth grade, there was a boy in my class that was always mouthing off to the teachers and disrupting class with shenanigans. Most times he was disciplined just like everyone else. But I remember one day he was going off on the social studies teacher, and as she gently steered him to the hallway, she asked “Have you taken your pills today, Kevin?” It was the first time I was introduced to the concept of behavioral problems being treated with drugs. According to my sister, there are so many kids on meds in her daughter’s school that there is no stigma to it (not that there should be). So her daughter didn’t see the big deal when she was prescribed with meds for her ADHD. It’s almost like another “everybody’s doing it!” kind of phenomena. I doubt that all the fat kids out there are popping atypical antipsychotics or SSRIs. But I wouldn’t be surprised if the effects of these meds might account for a significant subset of this population. ---
**Author:** ![Shawn1767](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shawn1767](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shawn1767)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/62 "2011-01-07T01:25:24Z")
I teach in elementary school and it’s frightening how many overweight/obese students there are. I’d say at least 50 percent of the students are overweight, with 30 percent obese. We had to weight and measure every student. The ones that stand out were a 12-year-old 5th grade female who was 297 pounds and a 10-year-old 4th grade female who was 198 pounds. By and large, the overweight females outnumber the overweight males. In fifth grade, there may be one overweight boy, whereas the majority of females are overweight. This is at the school where I work. Yes, I know, anecdotal, but it’s noticeable. I don’t think it’s hype. I see it everywhere (Hometown, New Orleans, LA) ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/63 "2011-01-07T01:27:33Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I doubt that all the fat kids out there are popping atypical antipsychotics or SSRIs. But I wouldn’t be surprised if the effects of these meds might account for a significant subset of this population. I would. You mentioned ADHD several times in your post, but as has already been mentioned by multiple people in this thread, ADHD medications tend to cause weight loss if anything. You cited one medication used for one condition that leads to weight gain. Are there really a lot of others that are commonly prescribed to kids? I sincerely doubt that the supposed over-diagnosis and over-medication of children (which is a debate in and of itself) has anything to do with childhood obesity trends. ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/64 "2011-01-07T01:35:41Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Exactly. What’s \*not \*happening, by and large, in the populations with more obese babies, is exclusive breastfeeding. Is it the sole answer? No. But it’s the dietary part of the component in obese babies, which, being unable to play video games or run outside, suggests strongly to me that it’s the main, if not only, component in infant obesity. And if I had my way, the doctor wouldn’t have said that breastfeeding prevents obesity, but that feeding babies formula (not to mention french fries) \*creates \*obesity. But that’s another rant for another thread. Sorry if my wording was confusing, but I meant exactly what you said. > > Age 'em up a few years and diet is still playing a significant role. Cutting out the video games and sending kids outside to play is important, but attending to diet is, as well. Not “put the kids \*on \*a diet”, but feed them healthier stuff. Hasn’t breastfeeding been [increasing gradually](http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/data/NIS_data/index.htm) over at least the least 10 years, and possibly longer? Here’s a throwaway wikipedia stat: > [@](#): > > A 1994 Canadian government health survey found that 73% of Canadian mothers initiated breastfeeding, up from 38% in 1963. I assume the trend is similar in the US. Yes, relatively few women breastfeed exclusively till 6, 9 or 12 months, but certainly more do than 30 years ago. So I’m somewhat skeptical that this is much of a factor in child obesity, which has been increasing over that same period of time. ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/65 "2011-01-07T01:40:00Z")
> [@InterestedObserver](#): > > Also, one of the primary triggers for the sensation of hunger is the level of vital nutrients in the blood. Consuming foods low in these nutrients can trigger a cycle of almost relentless hunger, and lead to over-eating, because you may have just consumed 1,000 calories of refined crap, but the blood/body is still crying out for what it needs…“Give me calcium, iron, B vitamins, A, C, ANYTHING I can fucking work with here!” Here’s what your body can work with: vast amounts of calories. Every time I hear someone say that Coca cola “has no nutritious value”, my head explodes. Sugar is pure nutritious value. And you don’t seriously think that people who eat Big Macs tend to have low iron and B vitamins, do you? > [@](#): > > It’s like saying (as some still do) that all FATS are equal…no, they are NOT. The fat in an avacado or from raw nuts is NOT the same as the fat from a steak or (shudder) from hydrogenated vegetable oils. There certainly are differences, but not in the amount of weight you’ll gain when you eat 1000 calories of lard vs 1000 calories of organically processed omega 3 fish oils. ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_Doubt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@Angel\_of\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_Doubt)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/66 "2011-01-07T02:10:44Z")
> [@InterestedObserver](#): > > It’s like saying (as some still do) that all FATS are equal…no, they are NOT. The fat in an avacado or from raw nuts is NOT the same as the fat from a steak or (shudder) from hydrogenated vegetable oils. I seem to recall that most fat in beef is actually unsaturated. Also, recent research indicates that natural saturated fats are not harmful at all. I agree with you totally on the HVO’s. Just keeping you up to date. 🙂 Per the point of the thread, around here, empirical observation indicates that yes, child obesity rates are indeed up the wazoo (Tennessee). Sometimes I take little informal “eyeball” surveys and compute the percentage of overweight, slim and borderline individuals I see when out in public. It almost always comes out to about 70 percent overweight/obese. Haven’t specifically done this for kids but I can make a confident projection. I will try it next time. Tragedy, it is. IMO the problem is the overwhelming presence of carbs in the diet. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/67 "2011-01-07T02:33:29Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > I would. You mentioned ADHD several times in your post, but as has already been mentioned by multiple people in this thread, ADHD medications tend to cause weight loss if anything. You cited one medication used for one condition that leads to weight gain. Are there really a lot of others that are commonly prescribed to kids? I mentioned ADHD only to show how there isn’t stigma associated with medication in school. If you reread what I wrote, you’ll see that I did not list ADHD among the conditions associated with weight-gaining medications. And there actually _are_ a lot of psychotropic drugs out there that are being prescribed to kids. If you google any of the SSRIS (Lexapro, Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, Luvox), you’ll find consumer reviews of these drugs that are rife with comments about the effects on kids. The antipsychotics (like Haldol and Abilify) aren’t just prescribed to schizophrenics, but also to people with everything from compulsive hair-pulling to Asperger’s syndrome. Some are sidled up with SSRI’s. Imagine being a ten-year-old who’s taking Risperdal AND Paxil. Chances are you will not be a skinny kid. From [http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/914192-overview](http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/914192-overview)] \*Kashani and Sherman conducted epidemiologic studies in the United States that revealed the incidence of depression to be 0.9% in preschool-aged children, 1.9% in school-aged children, and 4.7% in adolescents.1 A study of a randomly selected sample of high school students revealed that 22.3% of females and 11.4% of male high school students reported one current or lifetime episode of unipolar depression. The percentage of male and female students with 2 or more episodes was 4.9% and 1.6%, respectively. Garrison et al conducted a study of adolescents aged 11-16 years in the southeastern United States and found that the 1-year incidence of major depression was 3.3%.2 \* Interesting article about a link between ADHD and [depression](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101004162834.htm) Another interesting [one](http://www.sengifted.org/articles_counseling/Webb_MisdiagnosisAndDualDiagnosisOfGiftedChildren.shtml) about gifted children and misdiagnosis of mental illness. From [this article](http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123544191) \*Since the mid-1990s, the number of children diagnosed with bipolar disorder has increased a staggering 4,000 percent. And that number has caused a lot of controversy in the world of child psychiatry. \*] From [this article](http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1810221/more_children_being_prescribed_bipolar_drugs/) \*According to research released on Friday, the number of children between the ages of 2 and 5 that have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and are prescribed powerful antipsychotic drugs has doubled over the past decade. The research, which was complied from data taken between 2000 and 2007, suggests that the practice of prescribing powerful psychiatric drugs to 2-year-olds is becoming more popular. \* And another interesting [study](http://www.jstor.org/pss/10.1086/651448) on the role social factors may be playing in the increased incidence of autism diagnosis. Again, I’m not saying the childhood obesity epidemic is due to medication, unless Cheetos and orange soda can be called drugs. But what I am saying is that **Tripolar** isn’t totally off his rocker; there _has_ been an increased rate of diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. It just so happens the drugs that tend to be the most prescribed also tend to be the ones with associated weight gain. Even if only drugs are responsible for just 3% (just making up a number) of overweight youngsters, that’s still a lot of kids. I’m also wondering if there could be a “second-hand” side-effect thing going on between medicated adults and their children. Say the child is healthy, but one of the parents is on an appetite-inducing drug. How does that affect the nutrition and diet of the household? If Mommy just _has_ to stop by McDonald’s for a milkshake and fries because she’s taking a drug that makes her crave carbohydrates, that has to have spillover effect on the kids in the car, I would think. But I don’t know. > [@](#): > > I sincerely doubt that the supposed over-diagnosis and over-medication of children (which is a debate in and of itself) has anything to do with childhood obesity trends. When I was growing up, my TV shows weren’t constantly interupted by drug commercials. No one had heard of autism and the only known treatment for a moody, disruptive kid was corporal punishment or a good tongue lashing. Those weren’t the good ole days, don’t get me wrong. But its undeniable that times were different “back in the day” when it came to non-conforming children. ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/68 "2011-01-07T02:49:13Z")
> [@Angel\_of\_Doubt](#): > > Per the point of the thread, around here, empirical observation indicates that yes, child obesity rates are indeed up the wazoo (Tennessee). Sometimes I take little informal “eyeball” surveys and compute the percentage of overweight, slim and borderline individuals I see when out in public. It almost always comes out to about 70 percent overweight/obese. Haven’t specifically done this for kids but I can make a confident projection. I will try it next time. Your experimental method is deeply flawed, since you can see the fat ones when they’re standing behind the skinny ones, but not vice versa. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/69 "2011-01-07T17:15:28Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > Again, I’m not saying the childhood obesity epidemic is due to medication, unless Cheetos and orange soda can be called drugs. But what I am saying is that **Tripolar** isn’t totally off his rocker; there _has_ been an increased rate of diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. It just so happens the drugs that tend to be the most prescribed also tend to be the ones with associated weight gain. Even if only drugs are responsible for just 3% (just making up a number) of overweight youngsters, that’s still a lot of kids. Yes, thank you. You are correct that I am not _totally_ off my rocker. My point was not that medications are causing an obesity epidemic or even the appearance of one, but that their results (including indirect results) can make the data more difficult to interpret, and provides fodder for those who would use hype instead of reason. ---
**Author:** ![InterestedObserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@InterestedObserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InterestedObserver)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/70 "2011-01-09T00:18:17Z")
> [@Gestalt](#): > > Why? > > Generally in Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas isn’t problematic; it’s the insulin receptors on target tissues > > cite? They are interconnected…the pancreas is stressed or “worn out” from trying to compensate for the extreme fluctuations in blood glusose level due to diet it is presented with…refined sugars hit the bloodstream like mainlining heroin, whereas sugars in whole, unrefined foods are accompanied by fiber, other nutrients, and so hit the bloodstream much more slowly, more gradually. There is not the same panic reaction involved (e.g. got to get this blood sugar down ASAP or we’re all gonna die followed by a crash of dangerously LOW blood sugars involved) : [http://www.netwellness.org/healthtopics/diabetes/pancreasdiabetes.cfm](http://www.netwellness.org/healthtopics/diabetes/pancreasdiabetes.cfm) "Abnormal Pancreatic Function Insulin Resistance The cause of abnormal pancreas function in diabetics is insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is when the cells stop responding to insulin, meaning the door which allows glucose to enter won’t open. Because the cells aren’t allowing glucose to enter, the amount of glucose in the blood gets higher and higher. As long as there is too much glucose in the blood, and too little glucose in the cell, the pancreas will continue to produce insulin until the glucose level goes down. However, if the cells in the body have become insulin resistant, the amount of glucose in blood will never go down. The pancreas will continue to try to lower glucose levels by producing more and more insulin, but eventually it will wear out. Often this is the first cause of diabetes. " As for nutrients in the blood being a trigger of hunger, there are multiple theories on this involving the hypothalimus and its funtion in this regard. As well as evidence supporting the theory that we crave, seek out, and consume nutrients (even when they are not generally considered edible) based upon deficiencies. ---
**Author:** ![Backcountry\_Medic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Backcountry\_Medic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Backcountry_Medic)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/71 "2011-01-09T17:21:50Z")
I’ve actually just been working on a 2010 CDC study for the pediatric clinic where I work. They had requested a semi random sample from a particular day in November and out of ten patients (6 girls and 4 boys) five were overweight (4 girls, 1 boy) with 2 of the girls very much so. Obviously it’s only one data plot, out of several thousand that will be collected, but it was immediately obvious to me just as I was reviewing their charts. Something else I notice, just as an anecdote, is where the kids are putting on the weight. It used to be that ‘fat’ kids were just generally heavier for their body, but it was usually spread fairly evenly over their frame. Now kids have the equivalent of beer guts, spare tires and muffin tops. I don’t ever remember seeing a 6-10 year old girl with a spare tire when I was growing up. I actually went back through an old class photo looking for someone I remember as being the ‘big kid’ in fifth grade (92), she was laughably small compared to 180# fifth graders we see today. ---
**Author:** ![Gestalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/90ced4/32.png) [@Gestalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gestalt)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/72 "2011-01-09T17:27:42Z")
> [@Backcountry\_Medic](#): > > Something else I notice, just as an anecdote, is where the kids are putting on the weight. It used to be that ‘fat’ kids were just generally heavier for their body, but it was usually spread fairly evenly over their frame. Now kids have the equivalent of beer guts, spare tires and muffin tops. I don’t ever remember seeing a 6-10 year old girl with a spare tire when I was growing up. That is exactly what I remember (I think I’m about a couple of years younger than you); the “big kids” (almost exclusively boys) were just sort of . . .husky. Nothing like a 5th grader at 180 lbs!! ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/73 "2011-01-09T17:29:47Z")
> [@Backcountry\_Medic](#): > > It used to be that ‘fat’ kids were just generally heavier for their body, but it was usually spread fairly evenly over their frame. Now kids have the equivalent of beer guts, spare tires and muffin tops. I don’t ever remember seeing a 6-10 year old girl with a spare tire when I was growing up. When did you grow up? I’ve noticed the same, but in my case, I wonder how much of that is due to the generally tighter, thinner clothing girls (even 6-10 year old girls) are wearing today, compared to the '80s when we wore baggy shorts and loose t-shirts. Today’s thin and clingy t-shirt is absolutely unforgiving of figure flaws. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/74 "2011-01-09T17:39:31Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > When did you grow up? I’ve noticed the same, but in my case, I wonder how much of that is due to the generally tighter, thinner clothing girls (even 6-10 year old girls) are wearing today, compared to the '80s when we wore baggy shorts and loose t-shirts. Today’s thin and clingy t-shirt is absolutely unforgiving of figure flaws. I think that’s it as well. Even skinny girls are walking around showing their muffin tops. Back in the 80s/90s, we would have all, “No she is NOT walking around like that!” But now it’s cool. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/75 "2011-01-09T19:02:03Z")
Apparently it is [NOT](http://www.bmj.com/content/326/7390/624.abstract) all clothing choice: > [@](#): > > Trends in waist circumference during the past 10–20 years have greatly exceeded those in body mass index, particularly in girls, showing that body mass index is a poor proxy for central fatness. Body mass index has therefore systematically underestimated the prevalence of obesity in young people. That was in Britain but the same is found in [America](http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/118/5/e1390) > [@](#): > > Mean waist circumference and waist-height ratio and the prevalence of abdominal obesity among US children and adolescents greatly increased between 1988–1994 and 1999–2004. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/76 "2011-01-09T20:58:15Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > It’s the kids of your generation that are the first ones growing up where the parents think that this is “normal” behavior, perhaps. That’s my wild-assed-guess assumption too. I was born in 1980, and so in many ways am just a younger sibling to the true kids of the 80s, but all those who came of age in the 80s are the ones whose kids are 10-20 now. And, although those gen x(?)ers grew up in the decade of consumption, their parents hadn’t grown up as consumers, and so their kids learned consumption from their environment outside the home, as opposed to from behavior modeled by their parents. And, the infrastructure of consumption wasn’t as developed yet. Options for dining out were quite limited in non-urban areas, and the integration of fast-food into our every-day life had barely gotten started. But now, the kids who grew up in that environment are raising kids, and they can and do model unhealthy food behaviors for their children. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/77 "2011-01-09T22:53:16Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Apparently it is [NOT](http://www.bmj.com/content/326/7390/624.abstract) all clothing choice:That was in Britain but the same is found in [America](http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/118/5/e1390) But does this show that there’s a difference in fat _distribution_, or just that kids are fatter on average? If I went back in time and handed some of today’s clothes to yesteryear’s fat kid, would they not have a muffin top? ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2011, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/78 "2011-01-10T04:00:52Z")
Waist circumference increasing to a greater degree than BMI shows a difference in weight distribution. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/79 "2011-01-10T17:54:30Z")
**DSeid** , wouldn’t you expect waist size to increase faster in cases of obesity? ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2011, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/80 "2011-01-10T22:15:16Z")
Where fat is [distributed](http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v10/n11s/full/oby2002184a.html) matters. Obesity in a more central distribution is associated with worse health outcomes. > [@](#): > > Fat distribution, independent of absolute fatness, has been related to a number of health risks and conditions. Measures of abdominal obesity (such as the waist-to-hip ratio or waist circumference) are related to a number of metabolic variables, including cardiovascular risk factors and abnormal glucose metabolism (30, 31, 32, 33, 34). Furthermore, abdominal obesity is associated with increased risk of developing diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and stroke (33, 34, 35). The risks associated with obesity itself are also exacerbated by the presence of increased levels of visceral fat and central obesity. Kids have apparently not just gotten fatter; they seem to be more likely to store more in a central obesity distribution than in times past. If true then the childhood obesity problem is [worse](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101014131927.htm) than we have been portraying it. > [@](#): > > children with high waist circumference values (in the top 25 percent for their age and sex) were five to six times more likely than children with low waist circumferences (in the bottom 25 percent) to develop metabolic syndrome by early adulthood. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of key cardiovascular risk factors and is associated with an increased risk of subsequent coronary artery disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. **Backcountry Medic** ’s anecdotal observation has some evidenciary support and if true means that the same level of BMI defined obesity is more worrisome today than it was 30 years ago, and that concerns expressed based on the increases in BMI alone may substantially understate the real health outcomes magnitude of the problem. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531.md?page=5)