Can Children Have High Cholesterol?

Well, that is a tough question to answer to say the least. Since cholesterol issues, take many years to cause problems we can safely say that children will not be immediately affected by cholesterol. On the other hand, the amount of cholesterol children begin to collect can attribute to several health issues in their adult years.

Of course, parents are now having their cholesterol levels checked and worrying about eating healthy. Most parents on the other hand, are not paying much attention to the way in which their children are living their lives such as sitting in front of the television or video game instead of exercising and eating all the junk food they can get their hands on. No, this lifestyle may not harm your children at this time in their lives, but down the road, they will reap the rewards of this behavior. The only one to change this lifestyle pattern is the parent.

High cholesterol levels are beginning to rise in America among children. One main reason is that obesity and high cholesterol are hand in hand in most cases. Children in America are not active, eat unhealthy foods with high level of cholesterol, and no one is guiding them in the right direction. Children that are overweight are now showing signs of cholesterol issues. The reason being is that they are eating more and more foods containing cholesterol such as hamburgers and fries. The fries are not necessarily the problem, but the fat used to cook the fries is a major contributor to cholesterol.

Our body produces an adequate amount of cholesterol; therefore, when children eat foods that are high in cholesterol they are adding extra cholesterol to their bodies. The body cannot rid itself of this extra cholesterol. The cholesterol known as LDL begins to build up on their arteries, which results in clogged arteries or blood vessels. This attributes to a various health conditions including heart disease.

Even if you are not concerned about your child’s cholesterol levels at this time, you should be concerned about what this lifestyle will do to their lives as they age. Research has proven that coronary artery disease begins in childhood.

It is now being recommended that children as young as 2 have their cholesterol levels checked, especially if there is a family history of heart disease or if the child is overweight.

Ways you can begin to help your child is by preparing meals that are low in fat, make sure your child gets plenty of exercise, and only allow junk foods sparingly.

Posted in Heart Disease