Nov 10, 2010

Research conducted by several CPC researchers has generated a media buzz by showing that obese adolescents are at a higher risk of becoming severely obese adults than their normal-weight or overweight peers.

CPC graduate research assistant Natalie The and CPC Faculty Fellows Penny Gordon-Larsen, Chirayath M. Suchindran and Barry M. Popkin came to this conclusion based on a 13-year study following 8,834 participants who were between the ages of 12 and 21 when the research began.

The study found that of the obese adolescents 51.3% of females were likely to become severely obese adults compared to 31.7% of males. These findings underscore the dangers of adolescent obesity, and the researchers emphasize the importance and value of prevention.

This study uses data from CPC’s Add Health project. 

UNC News release:
Obese adolescents at greatest risk of becoming severely obese adults

To read the original news story in the Los Angeles Times, click here. The study has been reported in numerous news outlets, including:

WRAL, ABC, CNN, USA Today, WebMD, and Businessweek.

Study citation:
Association of Adolescent Obesity With Risk of Severe Obesity in Adulthood. Natalie S. The, Chirayath Suchindran, Kari E. North, Barry M. Popkin and Penny Gordon-Larsen. JAMA. 2010;304(18):2042-2047.