Obesity causes health problems for youths

NEW YORK, July 26 (UPI) -- Hundreds of thousands of U.S. youths have prescriptions for medications used to treat chronic health problems linked to childhood obesity, pharmacy data shows.

Data from Medco Health Solutions, Express Scripts and the marketing data collection company Verispan show an increasing number of youths are on drugs used to treat Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and acid reflux, The New York Times reported.

The newspaper said many medications children are taking typically treat health conditions that were significantly less common among youths in the 1980s.

Experts have said they fear too many children are being prescribed adult medications.

"I worry that some providers and some families are looking for the quick fix, and are going to want to start medication immediately," said Dr. Russell L. Rothman, an assistant professor at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.