Diet : Kids & Cholesterol
High cholesterol is not something you would normally think of in children. According to the American Heart Association, nearly one out of every three children is overweight or obese. This epidemic is causing harmful health problems for kids – high cholesterol being one of them. Pediatricians are beginning to see a significant increase in their patients’ cholesterol levels, especially if either or both parents have high cholesterol. High cholesterol contributes to high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease, and heart disease can start as early as childhood. Your pediatrician might consider testing a child’s cholesterol if a parent’s cholesterol is high, if a parent or grandparent has had heart disease before age 55 or if the child is overweight, has diabetes or high blood pressure. Keeping your kids active and eating healthy meals can help cholesterol and obesity in check. For more information, call St. John’s Referral One at 625.2000 or log on to stj.com.
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