A study released by the University of Alberta has shown a link between childhood obesity and increased prescription drug use. The study found that obese children between the ages of 12 to 19 were 59% more likely to require the use of prescription or over-the-counter drugs than their normal-weighted peers. “With higher health-care costs, this emphasizes the need for ... obesity prevention programs,” said Christine Fung, the co-author of the study. “If you establish healthy habits at an early age, there are returns when you get older.”
