Overweight children are at risk of heart disease in adulthood

Being an overweight child is not easy - it can be difficult to keep up with their friends in the yard, you can not use some of the same styles of clothing other children, Jokes can be ruthless. New research published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that the damage exceeds the social and emotional, too.

This study, entitled "cardiometabolic risk and severity of obesity in children and young adults", recorded nearly 9,000 children and adolescents aged 3-19 who were overweight or obese (very overweight). These young doctors tested for high blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes and other major risk factors for heart disease. 

On average, children and the most severely obese adolescents had high blood pressure, cholesterol profiles is worse, and sugar levels higher than those in blood overweight. This association was true even taking into account of race, ethnicity, gender and age.This was a cross sectional study, meaning they do not follow patients forward in time to see what happened to them. Instead, each patient was examined "in the moment" and identified the factors that doctors believe affect the risk of future heart disease.  

Thus, based on the information from this study, we can not say which of these young people finally went to developing heart disease. However, we know that, for adults, control of blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose is essential for the prevention of heart disease. It is reasonable to infer that this would also be true for children.

Most volunteers in the study were 12-19 years old. Therefore, it also seems reasonable to conclude that the most severely obese adolescent, the more likely he or she will develop heart disease. The study also found that boys and young men tend to be more compared to test results, a growing concern that childhood obesity could be especially dangerous for them.

This study is important because it confirms that pediatricians were concerned for many years, since we became aware of the increase in rates of obesity among our young patients: if we find ways to help our children reach and maintain a healthy weight, we'll see become adults who suffer from heart disease at higher rates and younger than ever.

Helping children achieve a healthy weight 
The good news is that we can do something about it! Weight loss interventions do work for young patients, and are increasingly available. More importantly, we must realize that even a small weight loss can go a long way to live a healthy life, and this is important at all ages.

If your child is overweight, I hope to learn more about this study encourage you to talk to your pediatrician regarding the caregiver (or yourself!) Lose weight. The ideal is to make a plan as a family. Make it a goal for mom, dad, and all the children to have plenty of exercise and eat a healthy balanced diet.

Before you place your child on a diet, or that he or she join a weight loss program, talk to your pediatrician. Do not be ashamed! I can guarantee you that your doctor has seen many children struggle with weight and has some experience in the field. Together we can create an action plan that is right for your family and your child.
By: Nandini Mani, MD.