Spring Break
Renowned specialist discusses child obesity
UW-Eau Claire alumnus and medical professional presents at speaker series
Emily Rae Hartwig
Issue date: 10/17/05 Section: Campus News
Attendees of Thursday's Biology Speaker Series murmured and shook their heads in shock at the sharp rise in childhood obesity, which is up to 25 percent in some states, according to the presentation's speaker.
Dr. William Klish, a 1963 UW-Eau Claire alumnus and an expert on childhood obesity, presented "Childhood obesity: A public health crisis" Thursday afternoon in Schneider Hall.
"People aren't just becoming obese, they're becoming super-obese," he said.
Imploring the audience to "get out and help me stamp out this disease," Klish began with background information and statistics, outlined the causes of obesity and finished with his solution - outright prevention.
Factors for this trend are a combination of genetics and environment. Type II diabetes was never seen in children 20 years ago, but Klish said now it is a major concern for many overweight children.
Klish listed other health problems for obese children, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, hypertension, cardiac risks and sleep disorders, including sleep apnea.
Besides physical difficulties, obese children also suffer from psychosocial affects, he said.
"Almost all the children I've seen have low self-esteem," he said.
Statistics show overweight adults are less likely to get married and usually have lower incomes and shorter lifespans. Obese people also are less likely to be accepted at college, Klish said.
"These are productive people and should be developing America, but they're not, because they're handicapped with this disease."
Since Klish's theory is that adult obesity is rooted in childhood weight problems, he stressed the importance of establishing good eating and exercise habits from infancy on.
"The solution to this obesity epidemic will not come easily or soon, since there are huge gaps in our knowledge regarding this disease," Klish said, though he is hopeful that prevention of weight problems soon will replace treatment for obesity.
Dr. William Klish, a 1963 UW-Eau Claire alumnus and an expert on childhood obesity, presented "Childhood obesity: A public health crisis" Thursday afternoon in Schneider Hall.
"People aren't just becoming obese, they're becoming super-obese," he said.
Imploring the audience to "get out and help me stamp out this disease," Klish began with background information and statistics, outlined the causes of obesity and finished with his solution - outright prevention.
Factors for this trend are a combination of genetics and environment. Type II diabetes was never seen in children 20 years ago, but Klish said now it is a major concern for many overweight children.
Klish listed other health problems for obese children, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, hypertension, cardiac risks and sleep disorders, including sleep apnea.
Besides physical difficulties, obese children also suffer from psychosocial affects, he said.
"Almost all the children I've seen have low self-esteem," he said.
Statistics show overweight adults are less likely to get married and usually have lower incomes and shorter lifespans. Obese people also are less likely to be accepted at college, Klish said.
"These are productive people and should be developing America, but they're not, because they're handicapped with this disease."
Since Klish's theory is that adult obesity is rooted in childhood weight problems, he stressed the importance of establishing good eating and exercise habits from infancy on.
"The solution to this obesity epidemic will not come easily or soon, since there are huge gaps in our knowledge regarding this disease," Klish said, though he is hopeful that prevention of weight problems soon will replace treatment for obesity.