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Super-size Fries Means Super-Size Kids

The cheeseburgers, french fries and Big Gulps that our kids are consuming could cause them health problems much sooner than expected.

Researchers at the Pacific Health Education Center in Bakersfield, Calif., and Prevention Concept, Inc. in Los Angeles, found that Bakersfield teens eat too many high-fat, high-calorie foods and have the arteries to prove it. Some also are overweight and already have higher-than-normal blood pressures - risk factors that clearly set them up for heart disease and other problems a few short decades down the road.

"We are appalled at the horrendous diet that 80 to 90 percent of our children are eating," said Albert Sanchez, Ph.D., a public health expert who looked at obesity and heart risk factors in the 249 high school students. He presented his findings Monday at the 49th annual American College of Cardiology in Anaheim, Calif.

Researchers recorded the height and weight of each teen to obtain body mass index (BMI), a measurement of obesity. They took blood samples to test for lipid (fat) levels, tallied the amount of dietary fat each was eating, and measured each student's blood pressure. And finally, they made ultrasound images of their carotid arteries, the main vessel that delivers blood to the brain.

The students completed questionnaires on diet and lifestyle, and from these and the lab tests, the researchers learned that:
More than 80 percent of the students ate diets that exceeded the recommended levels of total fat and saturated fat.
More than a third had elevated levels of LDL (the "bad" cholesterol) and lowered levels of HDL (the "good cholesterol).
Ten percent had blood pressures that were higher than normal.
The students' weights had a direct correlation to the other risk factors -- high cholesterol, high blood pressure and the buildup of fatty deposits in the carotid artery.

"This was the first study to show that the fatty deposits in the carotid artery are directly related to cholesterol intake, cholesterol level in the blood and blood pressure," Sanchez said.

The researchers also compared the BMIs and blood results of Latino students to their Caucasian peers. Although both groups had disturbing results, the Latino students fared the worst. Their lab results reflected the high amount of fat found in their diets.

The problem of obesity in children and adults is "pandemic," Sanchez said. "We need to start at state levels to get healthy foods into school lunch programs, and we need to get to the families. We must target young people in their own language and culture."

There is some good news to the story, though. After showing the students pictures of the fatty buildups in their carotid arteries, some of the students "changed their lifestyles radically," said Jacques Barth M.D., PhD.

"For instance, one student lost 30 pounds, and another started exercising."

Why did they change their behavior?

"We think it's because the initiative came from the students themselves," Barth said. "They were interested and they could decide what to eat."

Barth added that states should use some of the $300 billion available from the tobacco company settlement for public education about nutrition and its relationship to heart disease.

Editorial Comment: Truly this is a problem of epidemic proportions. Coronary heart disease is the number one killer in the United States and the number one cause of premature death. Because heart disease begins in the pre-teen years, we need better education in schools, at home, and in our approaches to helping kids eat healthier. Parents should remember that we are models for our child's eating behaviors. Education about heart-health and diet is simple preventive medicine.