British obesity epidemic leads to heart disease in children as young as 5.

A recent study carried out by Oxford academics on nearly 50000 5-15 year olds in Great Britain came to some very shocking and indeed worrying findings regarding the health of our children.

The study concluded that children as young as 5 are suffering from heart damage as a result of obesity, a problem more commonly thought to be associated with much older generations. The obese children that were assessed were found to have significantly enlarged hearts, have a 40% higher blood pressure, and have cholesterol levels 9X higher than their healthy peers. This means that obese children are much more likely to develop severe health problems early on in life as a result of their weight, and it is predicted that, unless a change in lifestyle is implemented immediately, obese children have a 40% increased likelihood of dying from a heart attack or stroke as adults.

Currently in Great Britain, just under 1 in 10 5 year olds and 1/5^th of all 11 year olds are classified as obese, according to NHS records. These shocking statistics have been commented upon by researcher of the study, Dr. Matthew Thompson, stating ‘It’s almost like a ticking time bomb of damage going on in their hearts and blood vessels… Most of the damage that happens in kids will still be there in adults. But it can be reversed-it’s just difficult because you’re talking about changing lifestyles.’ From this data, and with Britain currently having the highest rate of obesity in Europe, it is clear that change is needed IMMEDIATELY to reverse this childhood obesity epidemic, and prevent these fears for our children’s future health becoming a reality.