Tips To Reduce Obesity In Children: Obesity And Heart Diseases Linked

Obesity has become a never ending worry. A recent study now reveals that a high BMI can cause cardiovascular problems in those aged as young as 17. Researchers from the University of Bristol, Bristol, UK, investigated the potential link between increased BMI and cardiovascular health. Higher than normal body mass index (BMI) is known to cause cardiovascular diseases in mid-to-late life, but now it has been revealed that a high BMI can cause worse cardiovascular health even in youngsters. The scientists found that cardiovascular risk due to increased BMI can even emerge in earlier life.

Dr Kaitlin Wade, a Research Associate at the Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit (MRC-IEU) and her colleagues used data from The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) for the study. "ALSPAC is a world-leading birth cohort study, started in the early 1990s with the inclusion of more than 14,000 pregnant mothers and their partners and children, and provides an excellent opportunity to study environmental and genetic contributions to a person's health and development. It was therefore ideal for this purpose," Dr Wade said.

The data from ALSPAC helped them to detect the likely causal relationship between higher BMI and higher blood pressure and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) in those aged 17 and 21 years. A thickening of the left ventricle in the heart (hypertrophy) means that it has to work harder to pump blood and is a common marker for heart disease.

The results showed that the causal impact of higher BMI on cardiac output was solely driven by the volume of blood pumped by the left ventricle (stroke volume). This, at least in part, can explain the causal effect of higher BMI on cardiac hypertrophy and higher blood pressure that we observed in all our analyses.

Cardiovascular problems may include:

• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Hypertensive heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Cardiac arrest

How to tackle obesity at an early age?

1. Change in diet: you can help children learn to be aware of what they eat by developing healthy eating habits. Consumption of sugar-laden soft drinks may contribute to childhood obesity. Encourage healthy eating habits. Provide plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain products. Include low-fat or non-fat milk or dairy products. Encourage your family to drink lots of water.
2. Include physical activity in your daily routine: physical inactivity in children has also shown to be a serious cause, and children who fail to engage in regular physical activity are at greater risk of obesity. Use the word "activity" instead of "exercise" or "workout" to keep them interested. Activities like brisk walking, jumping rope, playing soccer, swimming or dancing can be done.
3. Cut down on screen time: many children fail to exercise because they are spending too much time on immobile activities like computers, video games or watching television. Limit the time your children to 2 hours per day, to watch television, play video games, or surf the web.

COMMENT