Painful joint problems increase in obese children

The increasing incidence of childhood obesity revealed yet another consequence of this epidemic.

A growing number of obese children are suffering from a painful hip disorder, a Scottish study reveals. Cases of slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) have risen in Scotland over the last 20 years in children under eight years old, matched by an increasing prevalence of childhood obesity.

SCFE is an unusual, but not rare, disorder of the adolescent hip. For reasons that are not well understood, the ball at the upper end of the femur (thigh bone) slips off in a backward direction. This is due to weakness of the growth plate. Most often, it develops during periods of accelerated growth, shortly after the onset of puberty.

Childhood obesity has been associated with increased risks of diabetes and heart disease later in life. But these consequences are so far down the road that obese kids may not care much about them. However, its a different story when the pain (of SCFE) is felt in the here and now. Maybe the joint problems will add a little more urgency to tackling the obesity epidemic sooner rather than later.

source: Sunday Herald

Tags: slipped capital femoral epiphysis, SCFE, obesity, research, health, risks, joint, hip, knee, pain, incidence, prevalence, childhood, epidemic