Medication Use Higher Among Overweight, Obese Kids

What could go wrong here?

Overweight children are far more likely to take prescription medications than children of a normal weight -- a trend that adds to already higher health-care costs for treating childhood obesity, according to new research from the University of Alberta.

Researchers from the School of Public Health analyzed the medication use of more than 2,000 Canadian children through the 2007 to 2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey. They found that overweight and obese kids aged 12 to 19 years were 59 per cent more likely than their normal-weight peers to take prescription medication.

Co-author Christina Fung said prescription drug expenditures have doubled over the past decade and now account for 17 per cent of health-care costs in Canada -- the second highest after hospital expenses. Having a more complete picture helps governments and health-care providers direct spending more effectively, she said.

"Overweight and obese patients are more expensive to the health-care system in terms of using medication and prescription drugs," she said. "In Canada, we have a public health-care system, and this is an issue of accountability and where health-care dollars are spent, and when."

The study also showed that overweight and obese children were twice as likely to take medication for respiratory ailments such as asthma and allergies.

Let them take the drugs.

In fact, let them take all the drugs they want.

As long as they pay for it themselves, hey, have a ball.

And a pill, too, while you are at it.

Note that this is a result of nutritional child abuse.