Children aged 9 to 12 who have a high body mass index (BMI) are more likely to have high blood pressure, and high insulin and cholesterol levels – all risk factors for developing heart disease – by the time they are 15 or 16 years old, reports medicalnewstoday.com.
The good news is, if these children lose the weight by the time they reach adolescence, they reduce their risks for any of these health problems.
The findings come from a University of Bristol study of 5,235 children aged 9 to 12 who were measured for waist circumference, fat levels, and body mass index.
Having adjusted for several factors, researchers concluded that a high BMI was directly linked to symptoms of heart disease. However, overweight children who changed to normal weight by the time they reached adolescence no longer have these risks.
The researchers concluded there is an important need to put a halt to the increasing trend of childhood obesity, and develop interventions that will help kids lose weight and improve their cardiovascular risk factors.