Overweight kids are at risk for high blood pressure

Overweight preschoolers have twice the odds of developing high blood pressure by age 6, putting them at risk of heart attack and stroke later in life. And those odds begin building as early as age 4, a new study reports. "The myth that excess weight in children has no consequences hampers the prevention and control of this health problem," said study author Dr. Inaki Galan, from Carlos III Health Institute in Madrid, Spain.

"Parents need to be more physically active with young children and provide a healthy diet," Galan added. "Women should shed extra pounds before becoming pregnant, avoid gaining excess weight during pregnancy, and quit smoking, as these are all established risk factors for childhood obesity."

For the study, Galan and his team looked at the weight and blood pressure of nearly 1,800 4-year-olds. The children were tested again at age 6.

Compared with kids who maintained a healthy weight throughout the study, those who were obese had nearly triple the risk of developing high blood pressure between ages of 4 and 6.  Kids who lost weight did not have the increased risk, the study found.

"There is a chain of risk, whereby overweight and obesity lead to high blood pressure, which heightens the chance of cardiovascular disease if allowed to track into adulthood," Galan said in a journal news release. "But the results show that children who return to a normal weight also regain a healthy blood pressure."

Kids who don't drink water take in nearly 100 more calories from sugary drinks every day than those who do, according to a recent Penn State study.

About one-fifth of children fall into the no-water group.

But a multi-year experiment in the New York City public schools involving more than 1 million students found that installing water dispensers in school can change that. Having dispensers increases the amount of water the kids drink, decreases purchases of sugary chocolate milk and the number of sodas and juices brought to school, and helps prevent excess weight in both boys and girls.

But it's not enough to simply tell kids to give up soda and other sugary drinks and have water instead. It needs to be easier for kids to make this choice. Parents can follow these steps from Children's Hospital Colorado to encourage kids to choose water.

Make drinking water more fun by adding frozen berries or grapes to a clear reusable water bottle designed for small hands. Freeze small bottles of water to pack in their afterschool sports bag. The water will thaw during the day, yet still be cold and refreshing when they reach for it.

Let your kids keep the deposit money when you recycle store-bought bottled water containers. When eating out, choose water as the beverage -- you'll not only save calories, but you'll also save money. Finally, set the right example by drinking water yourself.    

 HealthDay

Overweight kids are at risk for high blood pressure

Overweight preschoolers have twice the odds of developing high blood pressure by age 6, putting them at risk of heart attack and stroke later in life. And those odds begin building as early as age 4, a new study reports. The myth that excess weight in children has no consequences hampers the prevention and control of this health problem, said study author Dr. Inaki Galan, from Carlos III Health Institute in Madrid, Spain. Parents need to be more physically active with young children and provide a healthy diet, Galan added. Women should shed extra pounds before becoming pregnant, avoid gaining excess weight during pregnancy, and quit smoking, as these are all established risk factors for childhood obesity. For the study, Galan and his team looked at the weight and blood pressure of nearly 1,800 4-year-olds. The children were tested again at age 6. Compared with kids who maintained a healthy weight throughout the study, those who were obese had nearly triple the risk of developing high blood pressure between ages of 4 and 6. Kids who lost weight did not have the increased risk, the study found. There is a chain of risk, whereby overweight and obesity lead to high blood pressure, which heightens the chance of cardiovascular disease if allowed to track into adulthood, Galan said in a journal news release. But the results show that children who return to a normal weight also regain a healthy blood pressure. Kids who dont drink water take in nearly 100 more calories from sugary drinks every day than those who do, according to a recent Penn State study. About one-fifth of children fall into the no-water group. But a multi-year experiment in the New York City public schools involving more than 1 million students found that installing water dispensers in school can change that. Having dispensers increases the amount of water the kids drink, decreases purchases of sugary chocolate milk and the number of sodas and juices brought to school, and helps prevent excess weight in both boys and girls. But its not enough to simply tell kids to give up soda and other sugary drinks and have water instead. It needs to be easier for kids to make this choice. Parents can follow these steps from Childrens Hospital Colorado to encourage kids to choose water. Make drinking water more fun by adding frozen berries or grapes to a clear reusable water bottle designed for small hands. Freeze small bottles of water to pack in their afterschool sports bag. The water will thaw during the day, yet still be cold and refreshing when they reach for it. Let your kids keep the deposit money when you recycle store-bought bottled water containers. When eating out, choose water as the beverage -- youll not only save calories, but youll also save money. Finally, set the right example by drinking water yourself. HealthDay