The presence of child obesity results in higher rates of high blood pressure," which is a major risk factor for stroke and heart attack, said Bonita Falkner, MD, a professor of medicine and pediatrics at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. "This is a problem that is not going to magically go away, and it puts children at risk for premature cardiac events at an earlier period in their adult lives.
During a conference of the American Society of Hypertension, experts warned that heart disease risk could TRIPLE among teenagers; obesity and high blood pressure are to blame. WebMD reports:
In fact, heart disease DOES start during childhood and with over 1 million young children having undiagnosed high blood pressure, teaching kids HEALTHY eating habits is paramount!