Vitamin D deficiency a heavy burden for obese.

• Position: Skeletal Structure - Brief article

Vitamin D is essential for strong bones, but nearly half of kids who are obese do not have sufficient levels of this important nutrient. The risk is even higher for severely obese and minority children, which suggests that targeted screening and treatment guidance is needed, according to a study by researchers at Children's Medical Center Dallas.

"One in every two children with severe obesity is vitamin D deficient, and only about 10% of severely obese African-American children are not deficient," points out pediatrician Christy Turer.

Left untreated, Vitamin D deficiency can pose serious health risks that include rickets and osteomalacia, a condition that causes softening of the bones. The deficiency also has been linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and severe asthma.

"While we don't know for sure what causes the deficiency, there are things parents can do to...