Indian children who are obese or have high blood sugar levels are more than twice as likely to die before the age of 55 than others, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The study looked at data from 4,875 Pima or Tohono O'odham children who were born between 1945 and 1984. Researchers said Indian children with a high body-mass index (BMI) had a death rate that was more than double than those who were leaner.

Also, researchers said Indian children with highest levels of glucose intolerance were 73 percent more likely to die at a young age. "In the Arizona Pima Indians, unlike most other ethnic groups, childhood obesity has been common for decades," according to the study.

Get the Story:
Child Obesity Linked to Early Death, Before Age 55, in Study (Bloomberg News 2/10)

Get the Study:
Childhood Obesity, Other Cardiovascular Risk Factors, and Premature Death (NEJM Volume 362:485-493 February 11, 2010)