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Fit
or Fat
Kids may appear to
be healthy and strong on the outside, but looks can be deceiving. Judging
on what they put in their mouths, a view from inside out might show a
different picture.
“Anything fried is
good to go with us,” says 17-year-old Alex. Seventeen-year-old Ernest
agrees, “I eat tons and tons of fat every day and I don’t follow basic
good eating habits.”
A three o’clock after
school hamburger is standard for Ernest, but like a lot of teenagers he
figures he’s not fat, so he’s fine. But, new studies show that kids should
worry about what they eat. Fatty build up called Artherosclerosis, the
lesions that eventually lead to heart attacks, can be present in the arteries
of kids as young as 12 or 13. The condition intensifies quickly with a
high fat diet.
“It’s pretty clear
that the process that ends up killing more people than anything else in
the country actually starts at a young age,” says Dr. Harold Weschler,
with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The problem for kids
is three fold: they often make their own food choices, they are influenced
by marketers pushing high fat foods; and they eat out often.
What
Parents Should Know
Studies show that
poor diet and inactivity cause at least 300,000 deaths among U. S. adults
each year. Parents can prevent long term problems by establishing good
eating habits in the early years. The following tips can help parents
establish good habits early:
- Set a good example
by eating a balanced diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
- Find out what
your child’s school is doing to promote healthy eating.
- Provide healthy
snacks rather than high fat trendy snacks for sporting events, birthday
parties, and school events.
- Make mealtime fun
by offering healthy foods prepared in creative ways.
- Allow children
to be part of the preparation of meals and take pride in the kinds of
foods they choose to eat.
- Set family goals
for healthy eating.
- Join students
for school lunch.
- Join a school
health council or create one to guide nutrition policy in your child’s
school
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“I eat tons
and tons of fat every day and I don’t follow basic good eating habits.”
--Ernest, age
17
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The
Fat Habit
According to
the CDC, Centers Disease Prevention and Control, more than 84 percent
of young people eat too much fat and more than 91% eat too much
saturated fat.
Poor eating
habits and lack of exercise are the main causes of obesity. The
CDC reports that the percentage of young people who are overweight
has more than doubled in the past 30 years.
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Artherosclerosis
The
Journal of the American Medical Association reports that Artherosclerosis
which is the underlying cause of coronary heart disease has been
shown to be present in young adults.
A survey of
almost 3,000 men and women of differing races who were autopsied
after death from external causes, shows lesions or fat build up
in more than half of the right coronary arteries of the youngest
age group which ranged from age 15 to 19.
The study concludes
that Artherosclerosis begins in youth with fatty streaks and lesions
increasing rapidly between the ages of 15 to 34. Primary prevention
of the disease must begin in childhood or adolescence.
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