Obese Children Face Heart Attacks at 40

[jasmine]

Obese children face heart attacks at 40

ANGIE BROWN


THE obese teenagers of today are heading for heart attacks in their forties, experts have warned.

Cardiac specialists said that while the number of people dying from heart disease was falling, it meant more were living with the often devastating consequences of the condition.

Leading cardiologist Peter Weissberg warned that the current decline could be "the lull before the storm" as rates of childhood obesity continued to rise.

Dieticians last night said that people could even start having problems in their twenties and thirties as obesity in toddlers increased.

Prof Weissberg, medical director of the British Heart Foundation (BHF) said: "The current cohort of obese teenagers is heading for heart attacks in their forties if they get Type 2 diabetes, and many of them will."

He said a large section of the public did not realise what impact living with heart disease could have. "We can be pretty powerless to do anything for them in hospital so we just send them home to slowly die," he said.

Prof Weissberg said of all those patients with heart disease, between 20-30 per cent would be housebound and in many cases confined to one room because their condition made them breathless and exhausted. He said the current provision of community heart nurses funded by the NHS was "patchy" and more were urgently needed to improve patients’ quality of life in their final months and years.

A survey of more than 1,000 people carried out by the BHF found that people under- estimated how difficult it could be to live with heart disease.

Prof Weissberg added: "This survey suggests people do not fear heart disease as much as cancer or Alzheimer’s because they think that while they may have to live with heart disease for many years, it would be a relatively easy disease to live with.

"Sadly, this is rarely the case. While some heart patients are lucky to carry on with only minor lifestyle changes, thousands of people each year have to deal with the fact their hearts are permanently damaged."

Dympna Pearson, committee member and former chairwoman of the charity Dieticians Working In Obesity Management UK, said: "The younger the child becomes obese, the sooner they are going to have problems. I am seeing more and more toddlers who are obese, which will give them problems in their twenties and thirties.

"It’s such a shocking issue which needs to be highlighted. Obesity isn’t a child’s fault and if they are encouraged to exercise and eat good quality foods then even losing a small amount of weight can bring great benefits.

"I consult children who never eat fruit. Their bodies have become accustomed to the lack of fruit and they think the way they feel is normal, but the accumulative effect will lead to problems when they are older.

"Obesity is not pleasant as it can affect breathing, blood pressure and the joints, and is a product of the lifestyle we now lead where fast foods are so easily obtainable and computer games and television often override taking exercise."

[druv]

that was excellent information jasmine.. I too feel that we should give the children the right diet along with exercises right from the early growing period so that they develop a taste for healthy food.. of course a little bit of oil is necessary but nothing should be overdone. lots of green vegetables, fruits, juices , his proteins shoudl be encouraged.