Children With Obesity Have Increased Rates of Dermatologic Conditions

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 26, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Children with obesity have increased rates of dermatologic conditions, according to a study published online Feb. 10 in Pediatric Dermatology.

Samantha Epstein and Sonal D. Shah, M.D., from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, conducted a retrospective cohort study involving children younger than 18 years with and without obesity and various dermatologic conditions and comorbidities.

The researchers observed an association between childhood obesity and increased rates of all dermatologic conditions and the associated comorbidities evaluated. The most commonly associated dermatologic condition was acanthosis nigricans (risk ratio, 62.16), while the least common was acne vulgaris (risk ratio, 2.50). The incidence of dermatologic conditions trended upward, with a greater increase seen in children with obesity compared with those without obesity. Notably, from 2016 to 2023, the incidence of hidradenitis suppurativa increased by 17.18 percent. Comorbidities seen in higher proportions among children with obesity included type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, asthma, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and major depressive disorder. Compared with children without obesity with one of these comorbidities, children with obesity with hypertension, ADHD, depression, or OSA had an increased risk for every skin condition apart from rosacea.

“While obese children are at increased risks for various skin conditions, children with obesity and additional comorbidities, such as diabetes, hypertension, ADHD, depression, OSA, or polycystic ovary syndrome, carry an even greater risk of certain dermatologic conditions,” the authors write. “This supports the complex interplay between obesity and dermatologic health, particularly the proinflammatory effects of obesity.”

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