Childhood Obesity Linked to Higher Risk of Skin Conditions and Health Issues: Study
Researchers have found in a new study that Childhood obesity is associated with a higher incidence of dermatologic conditions and other health complications, including asthma, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension.
Rates of childhood obesity are rising, making it a public health concern due to its link to numerous poor health outcomes over the lifespan. In adults, obesity is associated with various inflammatory skin conditions; however, this is not well-studied in children with obesity. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the TrinetX Research Network Database, evaluating children under 18 with and without obesity and various dermatologic conditions and comorbidities. Childhood obesity was associated with increased rates of all dermatologic conditions and associated comorbidities evaluated (p < 0.05). This study highlights associations between various dermatologic conditions and comorbidities in children with obesity, compared with those without, emphasizing the need for early intervention and management strategies to mitigate obesity related health complications in pediatric populations.
Lead Researchers Shah and Epstein acknowledged that possible limitations of their analysis were nonencompassing ICD codes leading to potential missed patients. Additionally, they had excluded other skin diseases from their assessment and noted that a detailed age breakdown among cohorts was not accessible. “The increasing incidence and prevalence of skin conditions mirrors the rising rates of childhood obesity, highlighting the importance of addressing this public health issue,” they wrote.
Reference:
Epstein S, Shah SD. Evaluating the Cutaneous Manifestations and Associated Comorbidities of Childhood Obesity. Pediatr Dermatol. 2025 Feb 10. doi: 10.1111/pde.15887. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39929486.
Keywords:
comorbidities; cutaneous complications; pediatric obesity, Epstein S, Shah SD, Pediatric Dermatology
