In February, U.S. government researchers reported that about 1 in every 6 Americans age 12 to 19 is so overweight that they’re at high risk of developing serious health problems. Those problems may include type 2 diabetes, a disease that throws off important processes involved in using food. So perhaps it’s not too surprising that a newer study, also by U.S. government researchers, found that type 2 diabetes is on the rise among American kids.
The more recent study also found that about 1 in 7 Americans age 12 to 19 either has high blood pressure or may soon develop it. In this condition, blood presses too hard against the walls of blood vessels, which can lead to heart disease and other problems. High blood pressure, like diabetes, goes hand in hand with obesity.
And that’s not all: About 1 in 5 children has high levels of “bad” cholesterol, a type of fat carried through the body by blood. Globs of cholesterol contribute to the development of something called plaque. These fatty deposits accumulate on the walls of arteries and can eventually slow or block blood flow. If the plaques break apart — as they often do in older adults — they can cause a heart attack.
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