Know About Musculoskeletal Consequences of Obesity in Youth

Obesity is a common disease in industrialized countries and we observe
an increasing prevalence of early onset in childhood: at present it is the most
prevalent nutritional disease of children and adolescents in the United States,
where it affects 1 in 5 children [1]. The epidemiological situation in European
countries is not very different and from recent surveys it can be estimated that
10–20% of children are obese [2, 3].
A high body mass index (BMI) does not have a negative influence on the
locomotor system in general. A recent study for example reports a protective
effect of moderate overweight on bone density in the elderly [4]. There is
no doubt, however, that an association between obesity and several musculoskeletal
disorders exists. While this relationship might theoretically be purely
coincidental in many individuals, there is also enough evidence that neurological
or systemic dysfunction in orthopedic disorders can cause obesity. Fiore et al. [5],
for example, showed that children and adolescents with myelomeningocele often
have a BMI above the 95th percentile. On the other hand, obesity can also directly
lead to dysmorphism and structural damage of lower extremity joints due to overload.
In these cases musculoskeletal consequences that characterize the situation
in obese adults are preceded by abnormalities that might begin in early childhood.
Aim of this chapter is to discuss some major sources of musculoskeletal
morbidity for which the causal effect of obesity is established.