A new government study released this week reveals that, over the past decade, fewer kids were diagnosed with high cholesterol. That’s the good news. The bad news is, obesity rates among kids in the US has held steady, leading many to wonder exactly what’s going on.
The answer lies in trans fat – at least according to Dr. Sarah de Ferranti, Director of Preventive Cardiology at Boston Children’s Hospital. You see, many kids are eating just as much, just as often, however, food producers have cut back drastically on using trans fats in their products. We’ve all seen the labels marked “50% less trans fat” or “No trans fat.” The conscious decision by food manufacturers to make their products healthier has lead to an overall decrease of children suffering from high cholesterol.
“Thats my leading theory,” says Ferrenti in an editorial that accompanies the study. Dr. Brian Kit of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agrees with Ferrenti’s theory.
Despite a noticeable decrease in cholesterol levels among children, the overall obesity rate reamins high. Experts say 17 percent of US children are obese, largely in part to carbohydrates and sugar. They also note that more exercise and physical activity – combined with a healthy diet – can significantly reduce the risk of diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease.
Source: Fox News
