On Thursday, officials of the federal health agency reported that one out of 5 teenagers in the United States has high level of cholesterol in their blood. The report proved to be an evidence for the increasing obesity rate among teenagers of the most powerful economy.
According to a nationally representative survey of blood test results in American teenagers, the rate of teenagers from 12 to 19 who bear abnormal obesity is 20 percent. Meanwhile, 43 percent is the obesity rate among adolescents.
In the past, only middle-aged and elderly people were victims of obesity. However, as life develops, teenagers tend to bear this disease also. According to Linda Van Horn, a professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University, the new figures acts as a warning to health-care providers and families. Serious actions should be taken to the increasing obesity epidemic. Linda Van Horn is also chairman of the American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee.
The new test results emphasized on the effects of obesity on cholesterol level, resulting in various illnesses including diabetes and heart disease.
Data in this new study were collected each two years from 3,125 youths through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Obese children
With the latest study results, it seems that U.S.
One main cause for the occurrence of obesity in children was that children's dietary habits have shifted away from healthy foods (such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) to a much greater reliance on fast food, processed snack foods, and sugary drinks which often make cholesterol level increase.
Abnormal blood lipid level among teenagers also varies by weight. The more overweight the teens are, the higher percentage of abnormal lipid levels they have.
Risk of Heart Disease Increases Among U.S. Teenagers