Yet another recent study connecting childhood obesity to sugar-containing beverages has been released.
I established how detrimental sugar is in a previous post. But what stems from sugar beverages goes beyond tooth decay for me. My experience with overweight kids is that they are significantly more likely to develop obstructive breathing disorder, or apnea. This breathing disease is likely to occur before adulthood in moderate to morbidly obese kids. The Academy for Dental Sleep Medicine has really opened my eyes to the global significance of pediatric apnea.
When I see apneic patients, I almost always witness some element of tooth grinding or TMJ problem. It's not consistently problematic in all apneic kids or adults, but there is usually one or more of the following issues we see: uncommonly sore jaw and head muscles, abnormal tooth wear, and sometimes TMJ joint pain. None of those things are common problems for children. ANd they are simply abnormal signs for people in general.
The literature has conflicted over the years about the connections between apnea and tooth grinding (also known as bruxism), but I know there is a relationship between obesity and tooth grinding. And the sleep study summaries come back on these teeth grinders describing obstructive apnea.
But the main point of this post is this: Don't let your kids become obese. There are a number of different diseases that will stem from a poorly governed diet and lifestyle for your kids.
If you have questions about managing childhood obesity, pediatric apnea, tooth decay, or nutritional choices for your children, please do not wait for a pediatric medical clinic visit. Call us for a consultation.
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