High blood pressure. Arthritis. Diabetes.

These afflictions are most commonly associated with older adults, but throughout October they will be the focus of discussions on the youngest members of society because of a rising national epidemic — child obesity.

The Iowa chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics will make child obesity its topic during October’s Child Health Month.

“We want to draw attention to a specific problem so that people will become more aware of it,” said Dr. Jennifer Cook, a member of the 2004 Child Health Month planning committee.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 16 percent of American children between the ages of 6 and 19 are overweight or obese. This is a 45 percent increase in the past decade and more than double the rate of the 1970s.

“In the United States, in the Midwest in particular, [childhood obesity] continues to be an increasing problem,” said Carol Phillips, ISU child development lab school administrator. “We have a very high percentage of children who are overweight during childhood.”

Obesity can cause high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Obese children have an increased risk of juvenile diabetes and arthritis. Hardening of the arteries, an early sign of coronary heart disease and the cause of most heart attacks, has been found in obese children as young as 10, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Childhood obesity is positively correlated with adult obesity, which is also on the rise. In Iowa, 61 percent of adults are overweight or obese. This represents a 79 percent increase from 1990.

“If a person is overweight or obese as a child, the incidence of being overweight or obese as an adult increases,” Phillips said.

Obesity can be reduced by improving children’s diets or by encouraging them to exercise. Foods high in fat, sugar and salt should be avoided, Phillips said. Sedentary activities such as playing video games and watching television are a major cause of obesity, she said.

“Removing vending machines from schools and encouraging children to walk every day are two ways to combat obesity,” Cook said.

Child Health Month was created in 1992 by the American Academy of Pediatrics to draw attention to children’s health issues. It is an offshoot of the academy’s “Children: Our Future” campaign, and it focuses on preventative care.

Phillips said the ISU child development lab is using Child Health Month as an opportunity to give information on preventing obesity to families whose children attend the lab and is encouraging them to eat healthy food and exercise.