Teenage Belly Fat Means Adult Heart Trouble
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New research in the journal Diabetes shows young adults who had too much belly fat as teenagers have a higher risk of heart disease later in life. Among the 612 participants, men ages 18 to 20, those whose body mass index increased during adolescence had greater amounts of fat surrounding their abdominal organs. Belly fat, or visceral fat, has been closely linked to diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease; via Reuters.
No pun intended, but this is a BIG deal. A previous report reveals young men who are obese at age 18 are more likely to die prematurely as adults. Too make matters worse, our high rate of childhood obesity is expected to skyrocket heart disease among teenagers.
In related news, teenage Latino children switching to a diet consisting of more fiber and less sugar had significant drops in blood sugar and glucose, slashing diabetes risk.
Image credit: chalkdog
This picture looks exactly like the kind of lunch that was served at my high school. Except instead of salad (if one would call that a salad), they offered corn. What a shame!