Overweight Kids Doomed for Heart Disease

by Deborah Dunham (Subscribe to Deborah Dunham's posts)
Nov 13th 2009 5:00PM

Digital Vision

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that kids' waistlines are expanding as rapidly as adults' these days. Just take a look around. With an estimated 33 percent of children overweight or obese, the husky kids who used to be the exception are now becoming the norm -- and being big as a kid can translate into big health problems later on.

Medical experts report that overweight kids are heart attack s just waiting to happen. One study from the New England Journal of Medicine found that today's kids are likely to become adults with heart disease, which translates to more hospitalizations, more medications, more medical procedures and a shorter life expectancy. Another study reported that if the number of overweight children continues to increase at the current rate, there will be 100,000 additional cases of heart disease by 2035.

Who are the main culprits for childhood obesity? Parents, for one. Carting in boxes of donuts to their little ones' soccer games, offering sugar-loaded fruit drinks as after-school snacks and replacing home cooking with deep-fried drive-thrus, parents are teaching kids some fattening life lessons. The average child today consumes 180 more calories a day than their leaner counterparts did in 1989. That can translate to an extra 18 pounds a year.

Caloric catastrophes are only part of the problem though. Thanks to the technology gurus and marketing powers-to-be that target our youth, kids today are more likely to be found tweeting, texting, Wii-ing and channel surfing than running, biking and playing. "Now you can drive through entire neighborhoods where you know there are a lot of young kids there and hardly see any of them out," said American Heart Association spokesman, Russell Pate in an interview with CNN.

So while kids are more likely to say that a blackberry is a phone vs. a fruit, we can still help them make heart-healthy choices. Once they learn to make them on their own, they may be more likely to turn off the TV and head outside.

Take a look at other ways kids can stay healthy.

Comments (3)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

lidia 11-14-2009 @ 11:01AM

I was heavy and had health issues associated with my weight (high blood pressure, high cholesterol). I don't want my kids to have these issues. I wish fast food joint wouldoffer some healthier kids meals! I had tried every diet on the planet and was miserable. After struggling over the years to lose weight and keep it off, I finally found what worked for me. I avoid diet foods, diet soda and processed food and keep it simple and never let myself feel deprived.

I eat a high fiber diet based on whole grains, flax, veggies, fruit and lean protein and drink water (with a lemon wedge)...and allow myself "treats" in human size portions all the time I find if I am full I am less likely to pig out and make foolish food choices. My favorite high fiber food is flax. I have fitflax (fitflax.com) every morning in greek yogurt. FitFlax is a golden roasted flax and chia seeds blend that is low carb/low cal and FILLING. I have my power breakfast, and I am full, have tons of energy and am able to make better food choices the rest of the day. Fitflax tastes nutty (kinda like peanut butter) and I sometimes just eat straight from the bag. It does not need to be ground so it is convenient.

I love what I am eating and am a curvy, in shape size 8 that is healthy with no desire to be skinny. I just wish the media would show more gorgeous woman that are healthy and in shape 8's-14's and instead of making a zero the ideal! And I would love for my daughters not to have the weight issues that I have.

Nat 11-16-2009 @ 8:13PM

Obesity exposes children to:
- Hypertension
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Orthopedic complications
- Asthma
- Sleep apnea
- Depression

Help children to make healthy choices!

Source: going-well.com/2009/09/16/childhood-obesity-health-risks-diagnosis-and-treatment/

Overweight and Obesity 11-19-2009 @ 11:40AM

This really helps me with my search, I have been looking for information about kids getting overweight. And this article is a big help, I have the idea already on how to maintain kids diet.

But I am still open for suggestions and are there any other relevant topic that I can search for to find more information?