Advances in medicine brought about major improvements in children's health in the 20th century, but serious health challenges remain for the youngest Americans. Today, one in every three children is overweight or obese. Obesity-related diseases, such as pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes, affect a growing number of children in the United States. If not managed properly, they will be at greater risk for hypertension, heart disease and other diseases when they get older.
In Louisiana, children represent 28 percent of the population, yet 29 percent of our children live in poverty, 40 percent of them are overweight or obese, and 15 percent have at least one chronic health condition such as diabetes, hypertension or high cholesterol.
Childhood health issues can lead to future health and other challenges in adulthood. Research links poor childhood health to lower educational achievement, unemployment or fewer employment opportunities. Obesity in childhood often leads to obesity in adulthood.
There are practical solutions to help, including expanding proven group prenatal support for pregnant women to cut preterm births and reduce health disparities; scaling up new lifestyle and behavioral interventions that successfully fight childhood obesity; broadening care coordination in Medicaid to improve underserved children's health outcomes; and supporting specialized networks to advance research and treatment of complex conditions that affect children.
A UnitedHealth Group report estimates that our country could reduce health care spending by at least $41 billion over 10 years by adopting strategies aimed at improving children's health and reducing their need for costly care for chronic conditions.
Children represent our future. It is our responsibility as parents, and as Americans, to work together toward helping children get and stay healthy now and into adulthood.
Ann Kay Logarbo
Chief medical officer
United Healthcare Community Plan of Louisiana