Study Reveals 10-Year-Old Obese Children Have Arteries of 45-Year-Old Adults

Children running outside and playing with friends, a combination missing in today's world of homes overrun with technology and junk food. Now, a sneak peak into the arteries of some children shows how the obesity trend may impact their future.

Just when does the concern for our children's future health morph from ensuring we take the appropriate measures necessary during pregnancy to create a healthy baby to allowing nearly one in five of those children over the age of 9 to become obese? When an infant on formula is labeled as intolerant to certain types, physician's often recommend changes and sometimes order prescription formulas to ensure maximum weight gain and tolerance. A practice that shows concern for the child from both pediatrician and parent when put into practice. But somewhere along the way of offering up "human food", there seems to be a shift in the concern and obesity rates among children have doubled and tripled to over 9 million children between ages 6 and 19 considered obese. With that shift in trend also comes the ever elusive risk of Type II Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, elevated cholesterol levels and high blood pressure putting them on line with some of the most volatile time bombs who are at risk adults that have made poor health and dietary choices for most of their life. On Tuesday, a study that looked into the arteries of obese children, some as young as 10-years-old, found more evidence that the pudgy look may be taking its toll on their little bodies much faster than believed. The Associated Press explains:

Obese children as young as 10 had the arteries of 45-year-olds and other heart abnormalities that greatly raise their risk of heart disease, say doctors who used ultrasound tests to take a peek inside

No one knows how thick a 10-year-old's artery should be, since they're not regularly checked for signs of heart disease, so researchers used tables for 45-year-olds, who often do get such exams.

The kids' "vascular age" was about 30 years older than their actual age, she found.

Dr. Geetha Raghuveer of the Children's Hospital in Kansas City wanted to see if early signs of potential damage were evident and could be documented so her team used ultrasound to measure the thickness of the arterial wall in the major neck artery, most likely the carotid artery which is responsible for blood flow to the heart and brain and is the leading artery linked to arterial type strokes. The children who were tested were between the ages of 10 and 16. A major issue with childhood obesity and even those who are overweight is that the stigma associated with children and baby fat is that it will go away as they get older. The bolus of an individual's fat cells are determined before they reach an adult age, disproving the "melt away" theory. The research here adds to the risks and shows that overweight kids are stepping into the world of adultdom with more than risk factors. They may be coming complete with pre-clogged arteries. Coronary Artery Disease, or atherosclerosis, is the leading cause of heart related issues and strokes and the number one cause of DEATH (pdf file from American Heart Association). A heart study by the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, Australia involving obese children between the ages of 5 and 15 found abnormal enlargement of the left atrium of the heart which is a risk factor directly linked to heart disease and stroke. Another Australian study from the Australian National University revealed problems in heart rhythms related to relaxation in both overweight and obese children. The children involved in the artery study were reportedly party of a larger community-based study and the reports were presented during an American Heart Association conference earlier this week. So whether or not the documented find serves as an arguing point for future political agendas or as a "wake up call" for parents and families who have overweight and obese children, the fact is that in the past 25 years, the obesity rates associated with our gems have tripled in numbers, with one in three considered just overweight and one in five labeled with the big "0." Instead of encouraging the trend, shouldn't we as parents become accountable and fight it? With potential new trends like texting to lower obesity, are many ways parents can get involved.