$Unique_ID{BRK00343} $Pretitle{} $Title{Cholesterol and Kids} $Subject{cholesterol child care diet diets food foods heart disease obesity smoking nutrition life styles attitudes} $Volume{S-26} $Log{ How Cholesterol Levels Affect the Arteries*0002701.scf} Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc. Cholesterol and Kids ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ QUESTION: It is hard enough to control my teenagers' eating habits when it comes to calories and junk food. I now see that mothers have to worry about cholesterol in their kids as well. Won't it be time enough to worry when they are adults and on their own? I don't see how what they do now can seriously effect them too much later on when they grow out of it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ANSWER: There is more to it than you suspect, but the fact is that what you manage to instill in your young people now can have a life time benefit for them. Research has demonstrated that when children between the ages of 8 and 18 with high cholesterol levels were examined as young adults age 20 to 30, 43% were again found to have high cholesterol levels. Family history of heart disease was another related factor, as was obesity and smoking. It is therefore not merely a question of learning the basics of good nutrition, but also establishing the proper life styles and attitudes towards health in general that will make a big difference in the end. It may be that we can not always control the genes we pass on to our offspring, but when we establish the proper home environment that helps teach lessons that lead to healthful habits, we can feel good about the contribution we have made to the next generation. ---------------- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.