4 Reasons How Childhood Obesity Impacts Bone and Muscle Health

Obesity among children is one of the major concerns of health. Obesity and its grade are determined based on the Body Mass Index (BMI) of an individual. Two major reasons for obesity are an unhealthy diet and lack of physical exercise. An unhealthy diet would lack in required nutrition, essential vitamins, and minerals for growth and development. Not doing enough exercise would lead to increased fat, reduced muscle mass, and negatively impact bone and muscle health.

Bone development may be affected during childhood due to excess adiposity, ultimately leading to bone frailty. Due to obesity stress is created in developing bones, muscles, and cartilage of the growth plate.

Here Are Some Reasons How Childhood Obesity Impacts Bone and Muscle Health

• Impaired Mobility and Fractures – Obesity during childhood may lead to Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). DCD involves poor gross motor coordination such as jumping, hopping, or standing on one foot.
  Obesity may lead to clumsiness and risks of fracture increase due to stress on bones or weakened bones secondary to activity.
• Premature Osteoarthritis – Obesity creates too much pressure on bones and joints. There is repetitive stress on joints from overuse. Excess pressure deforms Bones, causes pain, and limits mobility. The onset of Arthritis is felt in the weight-bearing joints i.e Knees and Hips. Abnormal development of bone growth plate can cause deformed bones and premature development of osteoarthritis.
• Flat Feet – Children with obesity may tend to have flat feet where feet have little or no arch. This makes them feel tired easily and limit their ability to walk long distance. Weight Loss is one of the options in such cases with low impact weight loss training exercises and stretching exercises focused on the Achilles tendon (heel cord).
• Blount’s Disease – Blount’s Disease leads to severe bowing of the legs. Excess weight causes increased stress on the growth plate; leading to irregular growth and deformity. In some case treatment of Blount’s Disease require surgery. There are higher complications through surgery due to obesity which include infection, delayed bone healing, failure of fixation, and recurrence of Blount’s disease.

Over To You
Bone and Muscle health is extremely important and cannot be ignored. A healthy diet including all essential nutrients, Vitamin D and Calcium play an important role in the growth, development, and maintenance of good health. Also, physical activity is as crucial as nutrition, and hence during the growth years, a child needs to be actively involved in playing daily.