Gone are the days when kids actually stepped out of the house to go play with their friends. These days most of them are glued to their screens and it isn't doing much good for their health. A new study has found that if one wants to reduce the risk of a heart attack in kids, the first thing to do is to improve their diets. A good diet teamed with the appropriate amount of physical activity can prove to be quite good for their health.
"Atherosclerosis - clogged arteries - starts in childhood and is more likely with a sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy diet," said study lead author Karine Turke. "Exposure to these behaviours throughout life increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes, so prevention should begin in childhood," Turke said.
It's no secret that cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide and have also estimated to cause 17.9 million deaths a year. The WHO (World Health Organisation) has also estimated that the number of obese children and overweight toddlers rose from 32 million globally in 1990 to 41 million in 2016. In fact, nearly 3.2 million deaths each year occur due to insufficient physical activity.
A study was conducted in Brazil on around 433 Brazilian students. Most of these students were around 13 years old while 51% of them were male. On average, these kids spent about 40 and 60 minutes a week doing moderate to vigorous physical activity while they spent about 360 minutes just sitting around and not doing anything that would help them lose weight or classify as physical activity. "Physical activity is well below the level recommended by the WHO, which is 300 minutes per week for children and adolescents," said Turke.
The kids were also asked to mention what food they had consumed the day before the survey. 53% reported consuming leafy vegetables, 69% consumed fruits, 91% ate carbohydrates like rice or pasta, 70% ate legumes, 79% ate meat, 42% consumed soft drinks, 39% ate chocolate, 39% consumed powdered beverage mixes, 42% ate sausages, 49% consumed candy and other sweets.
"Many had eaten processed foods, which are easier for parents to prepare than cooking from fresh ingredients," said Turke. "Students will learn to classify foods as fresh, minimally processed, processed, and ultra-processed, and to prioritise fresh and minimally processed items," Turke added. Parents also need to ensure that they're feeding their kids the right foods that are fresh and are rich in nutrients. Stay tuned for more updates.
