Obese Preschoolers Have Higher Healthcare Costs

Obesity in preschoolers is leading to higher health care costs for them when compared to other children who have normal weight, according to the results of a new study in Australia. Obese children were found to have 60 percent higher health care costs than their peers.

Researchers from the University of Sydney's School of Public Health studied the health care use of 350 preschoolers, according to a report from EurekAlert. Health care use involved the preschooler's visits to doctors, specialists, undergoing medical tests, diagnostics, use of medicines, admissions to the hospital and emergency presentations, the report said.

Obese preschoolers 'costing money' https://t.co/yWZ1DpShHw @sydneyuni_media @alihayes333

— Sydney_Health (@syd_health) July 6, 2016

Obese Preschoolers Had More Hospital Admissions

According to a report from News-Medical.net, the researchers found that the obese preschoolers were two to three times more likely to be admitted to the hospital. Hospital admissions for obese preschoolers were said to be mainly due to respiratory disorders and ailments concerning the ear, nose, mouse and throat.

"Childhood obesity is a serious public health issue, and is becoming an increasing problem in children under five years old," lead researcher Alison Hayes was quoted as saying in the report. Hayes is an associate professor of Health Economics at the University of Sydney.

Preschool Obesity And Health Care Costs

According to EurekAlert, this study is the first to examine the higher direct health care costs of obese preschoolers in comparison with preschoolers with normal weight. "People haven't really looked at this very young age group in much detail before but what our study is showing is even at this very early age obesity is actually costing money," Hayes was quoted by a 9news report as saying to AAP.

"We know that children who are obese in early childhood are more likely to be obese in later childhood, adolescence and adulthood, which can lead to serious chronic diseases that have a huge impact on our health care system," added Hayes. The report said that around one in four Australian children is overweight or obese even before entering the school system.

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