Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Why So Many Children Are On The Road To Heart Disease

“We teach our children how to walk, talk and go to the bathroom, but do we teach them how to eat right? National statistics show that many of us do not. According to the American Obesity Association, an alarming 15.5 percent of children between the ages of six and 11 are considered obese, putting them on a collision course with the nation's biggest killer: heart disease. The power of preventing such a tragedy lies in the hands of parents, according to pediatric health experts. ‘Parents are the gatekeepers and the role models for their children's eating and exercise habits,’ says Marjorie Milici, M.D., pediatrician on the medical staff at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. ‘Chronic diseases, such as obesity, heart disease and cancer, which take decades to develop, have their roots in childhood, when exercise and eating behaviors are being learned,’ adds Dr. Milici.”

Medical News Today

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