This child needs to be tested for Cushings Disease. While rare in one so young, it does happen.
He needs to be taken to an endrocrinnolgist.
I beg to differ on the comments about Americans having a mental issue , and that being the sole reason we as a country are extremely overweight.
I think the number one reason americans are overweight is because our society, or cities and our lives are set up so that we literally have to do nothing.
We drive to work, to work at jobs that require no physical demand ( computers), to only have to walk to the bathroom, or kitchen to eat , to then return to the desk job, to only have to walk to the car to drive ourselves home again where in our homes we have all we need for days.
Our cities are structured so as to require a vehicle to get around.
9 times out of 10 people work miles from where they live.
Our cities are not pedestrian friendly, so vehicular transportation is a must in order to survive. Weather it is a bus, car or carpooling.. Our cities are not supportive of normal transportation ( walking) or assisted transportation (biking)
Our food supply is the same way.
It is so unnatural and processed that it survives for days when it shouldn't. So we dont even have to go out to get food that often.
Even our stores are set up to where pedestrians are not safe, nor accommodated.
We live less then 3 blocks from a grocery store.. and I am afraid to walk there because I would have to walk on the curb at Slaughter lane. A very high traffic street.
It is SAFER for me to just drive.
All of our cities are set up this way if you really look at it..
In fact, our entire society is set up like that.
In most other countries ( especially the ones named) it is more inconvenient to DRIVE then it is to walk.
Cities, neighborhoods and small counties are set up so that your grocery needs, employment needs and entertainment needs are with in walking distance, and the path to get there is pedestrian friendly.. not motor vehicle friendly.
We , as americans, have shot ourselves in the foot with the idea of convenience in this way. We are at a huge disadvantage for basic every day exercise unless we waste hours of our day unnaturally lifting weights or running along trails. And if you subscribe to that type of unnatural fitness, you will be plagued with just as many health problems as the average obese person..
Joint problems. Hip problems. Muscle dysfunction....
Largely (no pun intended) I agree shewolf.
Why did generations past not posses this gene or mental issue regarding obesity?
Not to say there is no genetic component, or some non-physical problem, there have always been obese people...just not near as many as today.
Because in our parents time ( 30-s to 50's lets say..)
You still had to DO something to survive.
Farm, build your own home, furniture, walk those important papers to the next office because there was no fax machine..
Get on your hands and knees to build something because there were no robots on the manufacturing line.. just people.
Your local store was next to the dry cleaner, the school, the tailor.. so all y ou had to do was drive to that side of town, then walk around and get the things you need.
Now, your grocery store is several miles from a clothing store which is several miles from your home and several more miles from your drug store or anything else you need.
If one person took a bus for everything they would need in a weeks time, they would be "shopping" for the better part of nine hours I would bet.
With a car, you can do it all in about 2 hours..
which leaves you the rest of the day to do...
NOTHING.
