High BMI in Childhood Linked to Greater Heart Disease Risk in Adolescence

Article appeared on the ScienceDaily (Nov. 26, 2010)

"Children who have a high body mass index (BMI) between 9 and 12 years of age are more likely to have high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood insulin levels (all risk factors for developing heart disease) by the time they reach adolescence, according to a study published online in the British Medical Journal.

Reassuringly, say the authors, children with a high BMI who shed the weight by the time they reach adolescence have better heart disease risk profiles than those who remain overweight.

It was well known that greater childhood or adolescent obesity is linked to a higher risk of heart disease in later life. However, this is the first study to investigate the link between BMI, waist circumference, and fat mass at age 9-12 and heart disease risk factors at age 15-16.

A total of 5,235 children took part in the study, led by Professor Debbie Lawlor from the University of Bristol. The children were part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), which has tracked the health of more than 14,000 children since birth.

The researchers assessed the childrens' BMI, waist circumference, and fat mass between the ages of 9 to 12.

When the children reached adolescence (15 -16 years of age) their blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose and insulin levels were tested. Positive results in these tests are risk factors for heart disease.

The results show that a high BMI at age 9-12 was associated with adverse heart disease risk factors at age 15-16, even when the analysis was adjusted for a wide range of other factors. Interestingly, waist circumference or fast mass measurements were not linked with adolescent heart disease risk factors any more strongly than BMI.

It is reassuring, say the authors, that overweight children who change to normal weight by the time they reach adolescence have better heart disease risk profiles than overweight children.

However they conclude: "Our findings highlight the need to shift the whole childhood population distribution of adiposity downwards and to develop interventions that safely and effectively reduce weight and improve cardiovascular risk factors in overweight/obese children.""

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101125202018.htm

Childhood Obesity Leads Some Schools to Ban Cupcakes for Birthdays

Article courtesy of: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20101117/hl_ac/179679_childhood_obesity_leads_some_schools_to_ban_cupcakes_for_birthdays

"Some schools are banning cupcakes at grammar school birthday parties because of childhood obesity among American kids. Say again?

In one west coast county, a school district says birthdays can be celebrated without food. Huh? Or they can bring nutritious foods to stuff the faces of their classmates, like raw veggies. Oh, that's fun. And very yuppie.

Texas has stepped up to the challenge by passing the "Safe Cupcake" amendment. It allows parents to keep their right to be parents and let their kids eat unhealthy birthday foods at school parties. Representative Jim Dunnam sponsored the legislation, a Democrat from Waco.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have produced statistics like 19 percent of pre-adolescent kids and 17 percent of adolescents were overweight in 2003-04. And there's an increase in Type 2 diabetes in children. This is a very serious problem, but can it be remedied by banning the cupcake?

Understandably some schools have banned junk food-laden vending and soda machines in schools. Excessive sugar can not only lead to obesity, but can also make anybody's body tired. This can disrupt study habits and even affect behavior in some kids. But how far should we go? And will this backfire? Isn't there a saying that you want what you can't have? If denied sweets at school for a birthday party, some adults are concerned that kids (and some parents) might rebel along the way.

Birthday parties at school are hardly the reason for childhood obesity. Most American adults can remember their own parties from grammar school, but that doesn't mean they were obese kids. What about the hormones packed into our food supply? Certain celebs go so far as to say that it's a money-making conspiracy to put chemicals into our food that make us fat-or at least that make us hungry so we'll eat more and in turn buy more food.

There are other concerns. What about the parents who don't get the memo? Will they be confronted and be sent back home with an explanation that their child can't celebrate a birthday at school? Lawsuits may start to smell like cupcakes.

Trying to make everyone happy never works, yet there's always someone or some institution who will try. Nonetheless, the controversy continues. Whether it works its way across the country is yet to be seen. Perhaps it already has. School administrators mean well, but the consequences could be more than they bargained for if traditional parents start to speak up against the ban. Is there a middle ground, like only wheat flour cupcakes can be used with sugar substitutes? Not really. Too many allergies come into play. Some private schools won't even let parents make their own treats for fear of germ contamination.

Parents beware: ask what treats have been approved before your kid's next school birthday party, just in case you didn't get the memo."