Metabolic precursors and effects of obesity in children: a decade of progress, 1990-1999

Current data suggest that 20% of US children are overweight. An analysis of secular trends suggested a clear upward trend in body weight in children o f 0.2 kg/y between 1973 and 1994. In addition, childhood obesity is more pr evalent among minority subgroups, such as African Americans. Obesity that b egins early in life persists into adulthood and increases the risk of obesi ty-related conditions later in life. Obesity is now considered a disease of epidemic proportions, not just in the United States but also worldwide. In the past 10 y there has been a tremendous increase in the number of studie s examining the etiology and health effects of obesity in children. The maj or objectives of this article are to 1) review highlights in pediatric obes ity research from 1990 to 1999; 2) summarize our research on the roles of e nergy expenditure, physical activity, and aerobic capacity in the etiology of pediatric obesity, and on ethnic differences in the relation between obe sity and type 2 diabetes risk factors in children; and 3) discuss areas of future study that will require greater emphasis as the field of childhood o besity research evolves over future years.