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Among 398 American adolescents, those with a higher percentage of body fat were significantly more likely to have blood lipid profiles that raised the risk of heart disease, according to new research.*
Compared to normal-weight 14- to 18-year-olds, overweight teens were more likely to have high levels of LDL “bad” cholesterol, high levels of triglycerides (blood fats), and low levels of HDL “good” cholesterol.
The study’s conclusions: It is vital that interventions to “minimize fatness” and “improve lipid profiles” begin early in life. Kids need to exercise daily and adopt diets rich in healthful, low-calorie-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, stated lead author Bernard Gutin, M.D., of Georgia Prevention Institute, Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Georgia in Augusta.
Recent research shows that the Pritikin Program of diet and exercise greatly improves the heart health of overweight kids and promotes weight control. In a study presented at the American Heart Association's national conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention in Washington, D.C., in April, UCLA researchers found improvements in cholesterol levels and several other heart disease risk factors among youngsters, ages 9 to 15, participating in a two-week family program at the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Aventura, Florida.
The kids, almost all overweight, were at Pritikin with their parents to learn how to make exercise an enjoyable part of their daily lives and eat nutritiously (lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and moderate amounts of lean protein).
At the start of the program, Dr. James Barnard and colleagues at UCLA Department of Physiological Science took baseline blood tests of the children, measuring eight different biomarkers associated with abnormalities that lead to heart disease. Two weeks later, blood tests were taken again. The scientists observed dramatic decreases in all biomarkers.
Total cholesterol fell on average 21 percent, LDL “bad” cholesterol decreased 25 percent, triglycerides (blood fats) plummeted 39 percent, and insulin levels fell 30 percent. Key markers of inflammation in the arteries, including C-reactive protein, oxidative stress, serum adhesion molecules, and gelantinase activity, fell 41 percent, 90 percent, 53 percent, and 49 percent, respectively. Inflammation can lead to the formation of plaque, hidden inside artery walls, which can rupture without warning, causing a heart attack.
Within the two-week program, the children lost an average seven to eight pounds.
“What struck me most about this study were the relatively high levels of biomarkers in people who were so young,” commented Dr. Barnard. “A lot of parents think, ‘Yes, my kids are fat, but their arteries must still be nice and clean, so they’re a long way from serious health problems.’ Well, our research shows that’s just not the case. What you see on the outside very much mirrors what’s going on inside.”
The good news, emphasizes Barnard, is that lifestyle changes can induce beneficial results, and in a very short period of time, just two weeks. What’s more, the children didn’t need to lose a lot of weight before reaping remarkable rewards for their hearts. “The biomarkers were dramatically reduced with just minimal weight loss,” he notes.
“It’s a hopeful message for both kids and adults,” says Barnard. “Keep exercising and eating nutritiously. Even if weight loss happens slowly, getting healthy happens very quickly.”
* Pediatric Research, 2005; 58: 78.
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