14 DAY TRIAL // Obesity rates are continuously increasing worldwide and health officials in most countries are striving to convince population to give up poor eating habits, rich in fats diets and to replace them with large servings of fruits, vegetables and natural food. Besides a healthy diet, an individual, independent of his age, also needs a healthy lifestyle, which is mainly based on staying active and moderately exercising on a regular basis. This does not only apply to middle-aged people, but to individuals in all groups of ages, from infants, children, teenagers to elderly people.
Obesity disorder has been shown by many previous studies to cause extremely serious health problems, from vision loss to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease etc. According to a recent study carried out by researchers at the University of Rostock in Germany, teenagers who have higher-than-normal body weights should consider regular physical exercise if they want to keep their hearts healthy and protect it from consequent disorders.
German Researcher Dr. Andreas Alexander Meyer of the University of Rostock who was involved in the current study pointed out the fact that young adults with ages ranging between 20 and 30 who had high BMIs (over 25, even over 30) since childhood have high chances of developing cardiovascular disease and even suffering a heart attack or stroke at this early age. These very dangerous events occur mainly due to the fact that extra body weight brings about the hardening of teens' arteries, consequently causes them to become less flexible and increases likeliness of cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Andreas Alexander Meyer said: "Obese young adults who were already obese in childhood have a high risk of developing serious cardiovascular events. First events can occur between the age of 20 and 30 years. It was in the range we usually see in adults between the ages of 30 and 40.This is clear evidence of vascular changes in obese children."
The study was conducted on 67 German teenagers with BMIs higher than 30 (which indicates obesity) with an average of 15. The participants in the trial were divided into two groups - those in the treatment-group took up moderate, regular exercise for a six-month period, while subjects in the control group did not enter any exercise program and went on with their usual lifestyle.
Overall results, published in a report in a paper in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, showed that the health of adolescents in the exercise group greatly improved in the six-month period of regular physical activity, even in those who did not lose too many kilos. Tests showed that the arteries of subjects in the working out program were no longer hardened, became flexible again and the blood flow was restored to normal rates. Dr. Andreas Alexander Meyer said: "Generally, in children, we recommend moderate exercise of 45-90 minutes per day to keep cardiovascular risk low."
Also, Karen A. Donato, coordinator of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's Obesity Education Initiative stated: "All children and adolescents should engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. According to the U.S. dietary guidelines for Americans, regular physical activity has been shown to reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases, including high blood pressure, stroke, coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes."
The leader of the study also cautioned that teenagers who have a tendency towards gaining weigh and developing obesity need family support in order to adopt a healthy lifestyle, which includes a natural aliments-based diet and taking up regular physical activity. It is imperative for parents to investigate and correct their children eating habits and rates of exercising, as most adolescents cannot understand and manage on their own risks of cardiovascular disease and other severe conditions brought about by obesity.
Dr. Meyer advised: "Most obese children don't get sufficient support in their efforts to reduce weight. We have intensive talks with the parents about their children's medical and vascular status. We try to make clear that the whole family needs to change its risky behavior."