We all know as adults that we have to watch our cholesterol. Deposits of plaque in the walls on the arteries (atherosclerosis) are a common indicator of poor diet, and put people at risk for high blood pressure, heart attacks, and other health problems. But, what about our kids? Should we worry about their cholesterol levels? You may be saying to your self “no way,” but chances are, you would be wrong. Surprisingly, 5% of kids have high cholesterol, but our entire population’s cholesterol levels are on the rise. Although It is not uncommon for many kids to have high cholesterol levels, you should not be worried that your kids are going to suffer a heart attack. However, what parents should be concerned about is their future. According to Dr. Elaine Urbina, director of Preventive Cardiology at Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center, she says ”it is proven that unless a strong intervention is made, there is a definite correlation between the risk factors as a child and those as an adult.” So yes, you do, in fact, have to worry about your kids’ cholesterol levels, and sad as that may be to have to admit, it is more common these days to see young kids with cholesterol problems because of the horrendously bad food choices they often make. “It’s really common to see abnormalities in cholesterol levels in kids because of the obesity epidemic,” Urbina said. “Because kids are more sedentary, eating more high-fat diets and they are overweight, we are seeing it more and more,” she said. It is not entirely the fault of our kids course, after all, many times our kids eat what we buy for them, so we must take some of the blame as parents. Kids eat foods that are high in saturated fats and that are filled with cholesterol. It is the fast-food lifestyle (and not just genetics as once thought) that we have all become accustomed to, and kids generally like that stuff, so what’s a parent to do?
“We should promote health in school, stop super-sizing foods, and be telling everyone to exercise,” Urbina said. “I’m in favor of universal screening versus selective screening.” It is not that hard to change the lifestyle. Some things Dr. Urbina recommends are easy to incorporate in your homes and lives. They are things like, drinking skim milk (easy enough), having family exercise every day or at least 3-4 times a week (how bout’ a game of kickball, or volleyball?), eating whole grain or whole wheat bread (instead of white), limit red meats, use low-fat or even fat-free cheese, and most importantly, know your family heart history. Having your kids (as well as your own) cholesterol levels checked can be an eye opening experience, but it may well save their lives and your own, and for the future, prevent the onset of some troubling illnesses for them. And hey, aren’t they worth it?