Overweight and obesity are linked to heart disease, hypertension, liver disease, certain cancers, diabetes (and its many disabling effects) and other problems, from asthma to sleep apnea.

It also has a negative impact on mental health that is especially debilitating to young people. Children are also particularly susceptible to orthopedic problems: the result of young, growing joints damaged by bearing too much weight.

	Five years ago, we probably had one or two kids with Type 2 diabetes. And now we have over 20. (A tenfold increase in five years.) Carol Kemp Hollister, California, School Nurse

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease that has no cure. Obesity, and even overweight, is the #1 risk factor.

It is the fifth-deadliest disease in the U.S. In 2004, more than 213,000 people will die from diabetes and its related complications. The complications are onerous and life-threatening.

Insulin resistance is the fundamental problem in Type 2 diabetes (versus the inability to produce insulin, as in Type 1).

The issue: Glucose is blocked from entering cells (where it serves as fuel for the body), so it remains in the blood, which causes a host of problems -- heart disease, eye disease/blindness, stroke, foot ulcers leading to amputations, liver and kidney disease.

Diabetes In Children

Until recently, Type 2 diabetes was known as “adult onset” diabetes, before its fast-rising incidence in children made the term outdated.

Because Type 2 diabetes in kids and adolescents is a relatively new phenomenon, accurate statistics are fragmented:

	25% of obese U.S. kids ages 4-10 are showing signs of blood sugar problems that could lead to diabetes. 21% of the group ages 11-18 show insulin resistance. (Source: Yale University, Associate Professor of Endocrinology, Sonia Caprio)
	Unless current patterns improve, one in three children born in 2000 will develop diabetes. (Source: CDC/Chicago Sun-Times, July 1, 2003)
	Nearly half of black and Hispanic children are likely to develop diabetes. (Source: MSNBC News, June 15, 2003)
	Children who develop diabetes before age 20 face a lifetime of being at very high risk for complications.
	For children who contract Type 2 diabetes, complications include heart disease, stroke, blindness, limb amputation, kidney failure before they reach age 30. Having the disease by age 10 carries the possibility of a heart attack, blindness or coronary bypass surgery before age 25.
	1980 versus late 1990s: Hospital discharges for diabetes in kids ages 6-17 doubled.
	Four percent of adolescents now have Type 2 diabetes. In some clinics, teens represent half of all new cases. (Source: U.S. News & World Report, August 19, 2002)
	Obese children are more likely to face a lifetime of physical and psychological problems.
	Most overweight kids have at least one medical condition.

Diabetes In General Population

	18 million Americans suffer from one form or another of diabetes.
	Another 20 million Americans may be at risk for prediabetes -- a precursor condition in which glucose levels are only slightly elevated.
	Epidemiologists predict that by 2025, the incidence in the U.S. will double.
	The most devastating complications –– and often, the disease itself -- are almost entirely preventable.
	Annual treatment costs are projected to rise from $132 billion to $192 billion in 2020 (not counting inflation).

	In a recent study of 813 overweight Louisiana school kids, 58% had at least one heart-disease risk factor (such as high blood pressure, cholesterol or insulin levels). (Source: U.S. News & World Report, August 19, 2002)
	Early signs of heart disease are much more common in obese than thin kids. Obese kids have stiffer carotid arteries and unhealthy changes in the artery lining. (Source: French research; Lancet, 2001)

	Excess weight gain in children can also cause lipid problems, orthopedic problems, asthma, sleep apnea, and other problems.
	The quality of life of severely obese children is comparable to that of a child who is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.
	Overweight/obese children suffer more fatigue.
	1980 versus late 1990s: Hospital discharges tripled for gall bladder disease in kids ages 6-17.
	1980 versus late 1990s: Hospital discharges for sleep apnea grew fivefold in kids ages 6-17.
	It is widely recognized that overweight and obesity also can reduce quality of life.

The physical burden of excess weight makes a struggle of everyday activities and turns many routine encounters into embarrassing and/or painful experiences: Squeezing into classroom desks. Picking sides for teams. Running. Climbing stairs. Getting into a car. Riding a bike.

Obesity is an extremely socially stigmatized disease, creating deep social wounds affecting emotional well-being. Psychological problems arise as obese kids are teased, reminded of their bodies and made victims of discrimination.

Overweight children and adults often internalize negative social messages. Diminished self-esteem, low self-confidence, other psychological effects are common.

	The health effects of obesity are equivalent to aging two decades.
	Going from normal weight to very obese increases risk of coronary disease by 60% in men and 179% in women.