Heart disease linked to obesity

Obese three-year-old children have high levels of C-reactive protein, an inflammatory marker that signals future heart disease, according to a study by researchers at the University of North Carolina, published on the website of the journal Pediatrics. Researchers also observed elevated levels of two other inflammatory markers in obese children, one at 6 years old, the other at 9 years old.
According to the study, more than 40% of children aged 3 to 5 considered to be “very obese” have a high level of C reactive protein, compared to 17% of children this age with normal weight. In addition, 83% of the “very obese” 15-17 years have a high level of C reactive protein, against 18% of adolescents of the same age in normal weight.
“We were surprised by these results. We have established a relationship between weight and elevated levels of certain inflammatory markers at ages earlier than we expected. Many adults know full well that being overweight or obese is not good for them. But most of them don’t realize that it can also be bad for young children, “says Asheley Cockrell Skinner, lead author of the study.
This study conducted by researchers at the University of North Carolina was carried out thanks to the analysis of data collected as part of the National Health and Nutrition Survey between 1999 and 2006 from 16,335 children aged 1 to 17 years.