New studies show obese children with growing heart attack risk

It's enough to make your heart stop.

New studies using ultrasound tests found children as young as 10 showing warning signs for heart attacks, stroke and heart disease.

The studies, presented last week at an American Heart Association conference, said these children had enlarged hearts, high cholesterol levels and the arteries of 45-year-olds. What they also share with many middle-age adults is the battle of the bulge.

About a third of American children are overweight and about 16 percent are obese, putting them at heightened risk of diabetes and other health problems in addition to heart disease. For boys, adolescent obesity is considered a greater risk factor than smoking.

The statistics are so alarming that the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended cholesterol-lowering drugs for some children.

It's no secret that many of us indulge our children (and, all too often, ourselves). Poor diets and insufficient exercise are primary causes of obesity, and research increasingly shows that overweight children are likely to be overweight adults.

So before we allow Lipitor to become part of the after-school snack, let's rethink our diets and get out for a walk. And don't forget to take the kids.

OK, after the warnings about obesity and heart attacks, it's time for some good news about our kids.

At Santa Rosa's Helen Lehman Elementary School, students finished first in the six-county North Coast region in the Governor's Challenge, a physical fitness competition.

The program, now in its third year, requires students to be physically active 30 minutes a day, three days a week for four weeks. And the entire student body must participate.

Students stretch and run and play games. They leave the Doritos and Coke home, and after-school events typically include a nutrition or exercise component.

School officials say the results go beyond healthier children. Standardized-test scores have climbed dramatically at Lehman, where students are given a chance to run and play after completing their exams.

For their efforts, the children received a reward that will help them stay active: $6,000 in new physical education equipment. They also are eligible for a $100,000 fitness center, the first prize in the statewide contest.