Fat Kids Get Fewer Cavities

Flying in the face of conventional thought, overweight children have fewer cavities and healthier teeth compared to other kids, a new study finds.

Scientists are clueless as to why.

Children ages 6-18 who were considered overweight or at risk for becoming overweight showed a decreased risk of tooth decay compared to their normal-weight peers.

"We expected to find more oral disease in overweight children of all ages, given the similar causal factors that are generally associated with obesity and [tooth decay]," said Dr. Dorota Kopycka-Kedzierawski, the lead author of a paper published in this month’s issue of Community Dentistry & Oral Epidemiology.

"Our findings raise more questions than answers," Kopycka-Kedzierawski said. "For example, are overweight children eating foods higher in fat rather than cavity-causing sugars? Are their diets similar to normal weight peers but [perhaps they] lead more sedentary lifestyles? Research to analyze both diet and lifestyle is needed to better understand the results."

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