According to a recent study, the arteries of obese children are aging prematurely. They develop the stiffness that is often seen in adults with heart disease.
The study dealt with 63 obese children with an average age of 13 and 55 normal weight children. The aorta, which is the largest artery, which carries oxygen-rich blood to all the other arteries, was very stiff in the obese children.
This stiffness is a sign for developing heart disease….at only 13 years old!
These findings are very alarming, and further studies will be done to see if this stiffness in the arteries can be reversed with better diet and exercise.
We know that obesity is a serious problem that is growing, however now finding out that heart disease is developing in children as young as 13 is very sad!
We must really make sure to educate those who do not yet know the severe risks of obesity.
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