Heart Pain Targeting Obese Children

Seeing the funny fat kid is adorable. But behind the humor there is something that just makes it funny. What the article? Yes, because being overweight makes the child vulnerable to disease.

In a recent study, researchers in the Netherlands indicates health, heart disease commonly suffered by those who are middle-aged, now also threatens children 2-12 years old who weigh too fat alias severe obesity. Obesity or overweight is a global problem, not just impinge on adults but also children in both the developed and developing countries.

From a study of 307 obese children are known, as much as two-thirds had at least one risk factor for heart disease, such as high blood pressure or hypertension.

Children two years of age are considered obese if his body mass index (BMI) of more than 20.5. At the age of 18 years, body mass index 35 is a sign of very obese.

"Nearly 62 percent of children aged less than 12 years who were obese had at least one risk factor for heart disease," write the researchers from VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam who collect child health data between the years 2005-2007.

Another finding is surprising is that half of obese children were suffering from hypertension. Also found cases of children who have low good cholesterol value and high blood sugar levels.

These factors will sooner or later lead to heart disease at a very young age.

Although respondents in the study were slightly, but should be a warning to parents who have children with excess body weight.

"This should be a concern. Addition, should the disease can be overcome by preventing child obesity," said Doireann Maddock of the British Heart Foundation.