Gina Telaroli
July 21, 2008 | 3:14 pm EST
Not safe for children.
Obese children have arteries similar to those of 45-year-olds according to a study recently presented to the American Heart Association. The project made the disturbing finding that the arteries in many obese children and teenagers are as thick and stiff as those found in people 30+ years their senior. Such children stand a high chance of developing heart disease much earlier than their parents, in some cases as early as their 20’s and 30’s, unless their condition is reversed.
Making matters worse is the fact that the United States is currently experiencing an epidemic of childhood obesity. A study from the Centers for Disease Control from just this past May found that 16.3% of all American children and teenagers are obese, and an additional 15.6% are overweight. The staggering numbers have all the makings of a near future public health crisis unless present diet trends are drastically changed.
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Some disturbing news is out today about cholesterol drug Vytorin, news that says the drug failed to meet it’s main goal of improving cardiovascular outcomes in a closely-watched heart study. Don’t know which drug I’m talking about? (there are so many.. it’s understandable)
This commercial may jog your memory:
According to The New York Times Vytorin actually seems to have very little effect:
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Kelsey Grammer suffered a mild heart attack this past weekend. The former star of such television hits as “Frasier” and “Cheers” and voice of the irrepressible Sideshow Bob on “The Simpsons” is currently “resting comfortably” in an undisclosed hospital in Hawaii.
Grammer, 53, experienced cardiac symptoms Saturday morning while paddleboarding in the ocean with his wife, Camille, a former playboy model. The two share a home in Kona on Hawaii’s big island. Grammer was immediately rushed to the hospital where it was determined he had experienced a mild heart attack. He is expected to be released later this week after a period of recuperation. Grammer has no previous history of heart problems.
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FATWORLD is a video game using cute characters and bright colors to teach players the relationships between obesity, nutrition, and socioeconomics in the contemporary U.S.
As explained on FATWORLD.org: The game’s goal is not to tell people what to eat or how to exercise, but to demonstrate the complex, interwoven relationships between nutrition and factors like budgets, the physical world, subsidies, and regulations. Existing approaches to nutrition advocacy fail to communicate the aggregate effect of everyday health practices. It’s one thing to explain that daily exercise and nutrition are important, but people, young and old, have a very hard time wrapping their heads around outcomes five, 10, 50 years away. You can choose starting weights and health conditions, including predispositions towards ailments like diabetes, heart disease, or food allergies. You’ll have to construct menus and recipes, decide what to eat and what to avoid, exercise (or not), and run a restaurant business to serve the members of your community.
All that exhaust spewing from city traffic is enough to give you a heart attack, literally, according to a group of scientists who spoke at the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s annual meeting in Boston on Sunday.
The cars clogging our streets may be clogging our arteries, too, thanks to tiny particles of pollution that are created when substances such as coal, tobacco, or wood are burned. In other words, city dwellers are breathing the equivalent of second hand smoke when they stroll down the street.
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In addition to the Superbowl, Super Tuesday and Fat Tuesday this week is also fashion week in New York City. And while most shows simply offer a sneak peak at upcoming high-end trends, The Heart Truth Red Dress Show last week not only has style but also has, well heart.
The event which features singers, actresses and supermodels in red designer dresses, is held to raise awareness about heart disease — a leading killer of women. This year Liza Minnelli took the audience by surprise at New York Fashion Week by singing her signature song “New York, New York” on the runway of The Heart Truth Red Dress show.
Learn more about The Heart Truth project at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth/index.htm
