About half of U.S. obese children deficient in vitamin D

DALLAS, April 25 (UPI) -- Nearly half of U.S. children who are obese do not have sufficient levels of vitamin D, a U.S. pediatrician says.

Dr. Christy Turer of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, a pediatrician at Children's Medical Center Dallas, said risk of vitamin D deficiency was even higher for severely obese and minority children.

"One-in-2 children with severe obesity is vitamin D deficient, and only about 10 percent of severely obese African-American children are not deficient," Turer said in a statement. "While we don't know for sure what causes the deficiency, there are things parents can do to reduce their child's risk."

Left untreated, vitamin D deficiency can pose serious health risks that include rickets and osteomalacia, a condition that causes softening of the bones. The deficiency has been linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and severe asthma, Turer said.

Helpful behavioral changes include limiting television/computer and video game time to less than 2 hours a day, increasing physical activity to more than 2 hours a week and encouraging children to drink 2-3 cups of low-fat vitamin D-fortified milk per day.

While 600 international units of vitamin D per day is recommended for healthy children, obese children may need more, Turer said. Parents should talk to their pediatrician regarding the appropriate dose, Turer advised.