{"id":12401,"date":"2020-02-18T10:53:31","date_gmt":"2020-02-18T15:53:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hancockregionalhospital.org\/?p=12401"},"modified":"2020-02-18T10:53:31","modified_gmt":"2020-02-18T15:53:31","slug":"heart-health-is-important-for-kiddos-too","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hancockhealth.apgar.digital\/es\/2020\/02\/heart-health-is-important-for-kiddos-too\/","title":{"rendered":"Heart Health Is Important for Kiddos, Too"},"content":{"rendered":"
Kids have it made: No bills to pay, no responsibilities to stress over, and a whole bunch of carefree play time. Small wonder heart disease affects only about one in 100 children\u2014and typically, it\u2019s something they\u2019re born with.<\/p>\n

None of this means that the lifestyle factors<\/a> tied in with later heart disease\u2014obesity, lack of physical activity, poor diet, high blood pressure, and so on\u2014are issues to think about only after a person finds herself firmly on the ground of adulthood. There\u2019s no switch that flips at age 18 to put a person at risk, and the habits learned in childhood tend to maintain later in life.<\/p>\n

In other words? While heart disease can look like a distant concern for kids, instilling the healthy practices that stave it off are important.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that childhood obesity is an indicator for adult obesity and obesity is the major risk factor for heart disease. So, habits that we develop in our children early on, like eating good foods, not eating junk food, and regular exercise\u2014those are likely to extend into adulthood,\u201d said Dr. Meg Fitzsimmons, of Hancock Family Medicine.<\/p>\n

The plaque that causes adult issues can start in childhood<\/strong><\/p>\n

Arteries don\u2019t become blocked overnight, and it isn\u2019t just adult arteries that are susceptible to the plaque that builds up to cause dangerous issues within the heart. The advice your doctor likely has given you is just as applicable to your kids: Healthy diet and exercise are the best measures for keeping your heart healthy and your arteries clear.<\/p>\n

Kids have those enviable metabolisms. It may seem like the juice boxes and cupcakes they regularly snack on have no ill effect on their health just because the calories don\u2019t immediately show up in their middles like they do in later life.<\/p>\n

Just because you can\u2019t see the toll an unhealthy diet takes doesn\u2019t mean the body isn\u2019t absorbing some tough challenges. What you do while your kids are young lays the foundation for their later health. No pressure, right? But you benefit, as well, when you model a plant-heavy, well-rounded diet and regular exercise.<\/p>\n

Easy ways to give kids a healthy start<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stanford Children\u2019s Health provides a thorough overview of children\u2019s heart health<\/a>, including the following tips to get you started:<\/p>\n