Do obese children have larger kidneys?
Yes, it’s unfortunate, but .. yes.
Over recent decades, the percentage of children who are obese, has rapidly increased.
Weight has been shown to correlate strongly with the size of various organs. The kidneys are no different and obese children have larger kidneys than their normal-weight counterparts.
In the study referenced below, the authors examined 204 healthy patients seen for benign (non-serious) haematuria (blood in urine) between January 2000 and May 2008.
Both right and left kidney lengths significantly correlated with age, height, weight, body mass index and body surface area in obese patients (n = 59). Height was also found to be a significant predictor of kidney length, in the obese group.
They concluded that doctors would have to create new normal renal length ranges for the obese paediatric population.
What is the effect of larger kidneys?
This may (may) be part of the reason for the increasing proportion of the population that has CKD (currently 10%). Why larger kidneys may affect their function is not known.
Summary
We have answered the question of whether obese children have larger kidneys (yes). It is a concern. We hope you have found it helpful.
Other resources
The effect of obesity on kidney length in a healthy pediatric population (Pantoja Zuzuárregui JR, 2009)
Are the kidneys the same size?
10 kidney facts
Where are the kidneys?
What do the kidneys do (7 functions)?
Last Reviewed on 22 May 2024