Obese Kids May Face Higher Odds for Eczema, Psoriasis
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 21, 2024 -- Obese kids are more likely to develop immune-based skin problems like eczema or psoriasis, a new study says.
Analysis of more than 2.1 million Korean children between 2009 and 2020 revealed that children who became overweight had a higher risk of developing eczema.
At the same time, overweight kids who shed pounds and reached a healthy weight had a lower risk of eczema, researchers reported Aug. 21 in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.
"Our findings support the importance of promoting weight maintenance among children who are already within the normal weight range because it may help reduce the risk of developing atopic dermatitis [eczema],” said researcher Dr. Seong-Joon Koh, an associate professor of internal medicine with the Seoul National University College of Medicine in South Korea.
“In addition, prevention of excessive weight gain and purposeful weight loss, including adopting healthy diet strategies in children with obesity to prevent atopic dermatitis, particularly before school age, should be promoted,” Koh added.
Approximately 1 in 5 U.S. children and teens (20%) are obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Previous studies have looked at the link between childhood obesity and skin diseases, said researcher Dr. Seong Rae Kim, with the Seoul National University College of Medicine in South Korea.
However, those studies haven’t tracked children over time to see whether changes in body weight made a difference in kids’ risk of skin problems, Kim said.
The results indicate that childhood obesity can contribute to the development of skin diseases caused by problems with the immune system, researchers concluded.
These diseases include alopecia, eczema and psoriasis, and maintaining a healthy weight could potentially lower kids’ risk of developing these skin problems, researchers said.
Sources
- Elsevier, news release, Aug. 21, 2024
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted August 2024
Read this next
Number of Americans With Type 2 Diabetes Jumped by 20% in a Decade
THURSDAY, Aug. 21, 2024 -- Type 2 diabetes increased by nearly 20% in the United States between 2012 and 2022, with age, race, income level, obesity and lack of...
Free Meals at School May Boost Attendance, Lower Obesity Rates
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 21, 2024 -- A review of U.S. data from 2012 through 2024 finds that when kids get free school meals, there's a potential for a slight increase in attendance and a...
'Stealth' Foods That Sneak Saturated Fat, Sugar Into Your Diet
MONDAY, Aug. 19, 2024 -- "Stealth" foods are sneaking saturated fat and added sugars into even the strictest diets, a new study shows. Most saturated fats and added sugars come...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.