Children Need a Heart for Life

Posted: Nov. 1, 2005

Even at a young age, these factors stand in the way of a heart-healthy lifestyle:

Obesity
Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in some areas of the world and is rising in many others.

Inactivity
Although it’s natural for children to be energetic and active, two-thirds of children worldwide are insufficiently active for their health. These children double their risk of becoming obese and increase their likelihood of developing cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.

Smoking
The younger a person begins to smoke, the greater the risk of contracting smoking-related diseases. Half of the young people who continue to smoke in their adult life are likely to die from smoking. A child who is raised in the presence of a parent’s cigarette smoke can inhale the equivalent of 102 packs of cigarettes by the age of five.

Tobacco
Discuss the impact of tobacco on health with your children. Warn them not to be influenced by tobacco industry marketing. If you are a parent who is a smoker, try to quit and explain the problem of addiction.

Diet
Educate and encourage your children to eat a healthy and balanced diet. Control salt intake and avoid soft drinks with added sugar, sweets and manufactured snacks.

Exercise
Stimulate your child to be active and encourage participation in sporting groups or teams. Exercise helps to decrease the risk of obesity and obesity-related diseases and keeps a child healthy and energized.

Weight
Obese adolescents become unhealthy adults. Monitor your child’s weight. If you are concerned that your child is overweight or obese, discuss this with your health care provider.

Source: World Heart Federation

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