Obesity and Early CV Disease

Childhood Obesity Alone May Increase Risk of Later Cardiovascular Disease

Newswise reports research conducted at Nemours Children’s Clinic, showing that obesity alone can predispose individuals to developing cardiovascular disease early in adulthood. Abnormalities in C-reactive protein, high fibrinogen, and other markers for predicting the development of cardiovascular diseases occurred in obese children as young as age 7, long before the onset of puberty.

Nelly Mauras, MD, senior author concludes, “It would be prudent for health care providers to advise more aggressive interventions to limit calories and increase activity in “healthy” overweight children, even before the onset of puberty.

Once again Daily Physical Education with an emphasis on fitness is advocated by researchers, within the medical community.

Note: The health cartoon is taken from Health Care-toons Calendar by Jeff Haebig and cartoonist Ed Fischer.