A report from Northwestern University in Chicago looks at the status of the cardiovascular health of current adolescents in the United States, and its findings were not encouraging. It says that teens today have a higher likelihood of dying at a younger age than today's adults. The causes listed include high blood sugar, obesity, poor diet, smoking, and limited exercise. Of course this is not true for all teenagers; some may be in better shape than the rest of us will ever be. However, in the case of teenage health, the lows outweigh the highs, bringing average teen health to a dismal level.
A report from Northwestern University in Chicago looks at the status of the cardiovascular health of current adolescents in the United States, and its findings were not encouraging. It says that teens today have a higher likelihood of dying at a younger age than today's adults. The causes listed include high blood sugar, obesity, poor diet, smoking, and limited exercise. Of course this is not true for all teenagers; some may be in better shape than the rest of us will ever be. However, in the case of teenage health, the lows outweigh the highs, bringing average teen health to a dismal level.
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According to Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones, M.D., chair and associate professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University and the senior investigator for the study, "We are all born with ideal cardiovascular health, but right now we are looking at the loss of that health in youth. Their future is bleak."
The study examined the health profiles of 5,547 children and adolescents, age 12-19. The researchers used this sample group to represent the 33.1 million individuals sampled for the National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys from 2003 to 2008.
The study examined cardiovascular health because it is a good barometer for the overall fitness of the adolescent. Ideal cardiovascular health, according to the American Heart Association (AHA), is defined as having the optimal levels of seven risk factors. These factors include diet, blood sugar, weight, physical activity, cholesterol, smoking, and blood pressure.
One alarming finding is that zero children or adolescents met the AHA's criteria for ideal cardiovascular health. Another alarming finding is that in general, girl's cardiovascular health is worse than boys.
Here is a summary of the report's findings, based on the AHA criteria.
Diet: All the subjects of the survey had terrible diets, even worse than adults. Many consume too much sodium and sugary beverages and not enough fruits and vegetables.
Blood Sugar: Over 30 percent of boys and 40 percent of girls have high blood sugar, increasing their risk of type 2 diabetes.
Weight: 35 percent of boys and girls are overweight or obese.
Physical Activity: Only 38 percent of girls had ideal physical activity, as did 52 percent of boys.
Cholesterol: Only 65 percent of girls had ideal cholesterol compared to 73 percent of boys.
Smoking: Nearly 25 percent of individuals smoked within the past month of being surveyed.
Blood pressure: This was the best score of all the criteria. About 93 percent of individuals had the ideal level of blood pressure.
These are very sobering figures, but all hope is not lost. Many young kids have excellent fitness. Those who have their priorities straight understand that they have to take care of their bodies. Good parenting and teachers can play a major role in reinforcing good fitness.
However, something must be done soon to change the dangerous trajectory that teen health is on. "We are much more sedentary and get less physical activity in our daily lives," Lloyd-Jones said. "We eat more processed food, and we get less sleep. It's a cultural phenomenon, and the many pressures on our health are moving in a bad direction. This is a big societal problem we must address."
The Northwestern University report was presented on Nov. 16 at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Orlando, Florida.
For more information: http://my.americanheart.org/professional/Sessions/ScientificSessions/Scientific-Sessions_UCM_316900_SubHomePage.jsp
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