Study Suggests Young Overweight Girls Quickly Develop Serious Health Problems
Overweight girls as young as 9-years-old are 3 to 10 times as likely as girls of normal weight to have unhealthy blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels. This result suggests that doctors should help children lose weight so they are at less risk for heart disease.
Researchers at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute studied 2,379 girls ages 9 and 10 for more than ten years. They kept track of the girls' heights, weights, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. The overweight girls were 11 to 30 times more likely to become obese adults. Even at young ages, the overweight girls were already developing signs of cardiovascular disease.
This study appears in the January 2007 issue of the Journal of Pediatrics.
Learn more about childhood obesity and ways you can help your overweight child become healthier at MyOverweightChild.com
Assessing the Damage of Grand Theft Auto 4: Should You Let Your Child Play?
The release of Grand Theft Auto 4 marked the biggest event of the year for video game fanatics. The latest installment is part of a series famous for its violence and profanity, where fun is defined as beating prostitutes, drug running, stealing, going to strip clubs, killing police, running over pedestrians, carjacking, drive-by shootings, and drunk driving.
Answers to Parents' Most Common Questions About Summer Camp
With social pressures, academic stress, and the emotional roller coaster that comes with being a teen, they sometimes need a break, too. How about a summer break that not only offers respite from daily life but also affords a chance to learn, grow, and get in shape? For teens of all shapes, sizes, abilities, and backgrounds, summer camp could be the answer.
