Weight gain that starts in childhood leads to enlarged hearts for young adults

[Vance]

Weight gain beginning in childhood can lead to an enlarged heart by early adulthood, researchers reported today in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Researchers with the Bogalusa Heart Study followed 467 children for an average of 21.5 years. They found that adiposity (fatness) beginning in childhood is a consistent predictor of heart size in early adulthood. By adulthood, both body mass index (BMI -- a measure of body fatness) and a high systolic blood pressure were independent predictors of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), an over-development of the left side of the heart that can lead to heart attack or heart failure.

''We have observations taken from children 20 to 30 years ago that could be compared to similar medical data obtained in early adulthood,'' said Gerald S. Berenson, M.D., the study's principle investigator and director at the Tulane Center for Cardiovascular Health in New Orleans. ''It shows that a high childhood body mass index predicts heart enlargement in adulthood.

''This underscores the importance of obesity in the development of early cardiac enlargement and the need for early prevention,'' he said. ''Children need to eat more healthy diets, and exercise. Health education needs to start in kindergarten.''

The researchers conducted seven cross-sectional surveys of children aged 4 -- 17 years, between 1973 and 1996. They conducted five surveys of the same group as young adults, aged 18 -- 38 years. Participants' height, weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides were measured every three or four years. During the last six months of 1996, the young adults (71 percent white, 39 percent male, average age 32) underwent echocardiography examinations to determine their left ventricular mass (a measure of heart size).

The researchers divided BMI measurements into quartiles with quartile I being the lowest BMI and quartile IV the highest. Increased average levels of left ventricular mass corresponded with increased BMI quartile as measured in childhood, adulthood and as a cumulative burden from childhood to adulthood. BMI values from 18.5 to 24.9 are considered normal; BMI from 25 to 29.9 is overweight; and BMI of 30 or greater is obese.

For white men, average BMI was 18.1 in childhood and 27.7 in adulthood. For white women, BMI was 18.2 in childhood and 26.1 in adulthood. Average BMI for black men was 17.7 in childhood and 27.4 in adulthood. For black women, BMI was 18.7 in childhood and 29.8 as adults. Average left ventricular mass in adulthood was 30.1 for white men, 31.3 for while women, 32.3 for black men and 35.9 for black women.

When BMI was analyzed in quartiles and compared to adult left ventricular mass index, BMI in the highest quartile in both childhood and adulthood correlated with the largest heart size in young adults.

Xiangrong Li, M.D., co-author of the study and research assistant with the Tulane Center for Cardiovascular Health, said half of the obese adults were also obese as children.

''We need to begin to teach healthy habits in childhood,'' said Berenson. ''That is one of the major things we have learned from the Bogalusa Heart Study, that heart disease often begins in childhood.''

This study was supported by grants from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and from the American Heart Association.

Co-authors are Shengxu Li, M.D.; Eralp Ulusoy, M.D.; Wei Chen, M.D., Ph.D.; and Sathanur R. Srinivasan, Ph.D.

Source: http://www.scienceblog.com/community/article4732.html

These kids are McDonald's wet dream.

 

[Reba]

It is so sad to see children become fat and lazy.

IMO, there are many factors of today's lifestyles that cause children to have bad health and diet. These are just my observations, nothing scientific.

1. Children spend too much time watching TV, playing video games, and using computers. Every minute in front of a screen is another minute sitting on the butt.

2. Children (and teens) have too much spending money. They can easily waste their money (and health) on vending machine snacks and sodas, and fast food restaurants.

3. People eat every place. When I was a kid (during the Jurassic Period), kids were allowed to eat only at the table in the kitchen or dining room, or outside on the picnic table. No eating in the car. No eating in the bedrooms. No eating in front of the TV. No eating while shopping in stores. Very few snack times.

4. Kids drink more soda than milk. Soda used to be a "treat". We could drink soda at picnics, cookouts, ballgames, or the beach. Sodas were for parties and special occasions. Little kids were not allowed soda. We drank milk with all our regular meals. We drank OJ or grapefruit juice with breakfast.

5. We walked or rode our bikes every where. I realize it is not so safe to do that now. That is sad. Now, parents drive their kids every where. Kids sit on school buses for hours every day.

6. Kids expect to use motorized vehicles instead of "people" power. Little kids want battery operated cars to ride, not pedals. Scooters have motors. Teens expect to drive at 16 and never walk or ride a bike again.

7. Kids are not allowed to casually play sports. If they are not on an organized team, they don't get the opportunity to play baseball, soccer, basketball, etc. The games become competitions for only the "best" athletes, and the other kids get stuck "on the bench". Kids don't get the chance to just share a bat and ball, and gather at an empty lot and just PLAY. No, they have to wait for their parents to buy the uniforms and equipment, DRIVE to the field, and then sit around until their turn to play.

Off my soap box.

 

[Vance]

I agree with you that there are more than just one major factor about obesity. However foods are the huge influence on children's health than anything else. I remember that there was no junk food or soda machines in my elementary school when I was young.. I decided to visit my old elementary school (hearing school) and found the junk foods & soda machines in Cafe, playground, etc.. that is unbelievable.

Even though junk foods are not only one fault in that problem, nowaday common foods in Supermarket contains more sugar than some junk foods.

With No Child Left, many schools has been forced to cut down the recessions & PE times to meet the No Child Left standards. It dampened down children's health even more. As you said, sports are for elite athletics, so where will these children recieve the benefit of exercises?