One U.S. university has just developed a test that they say can predict how likely it is that a particular teen will develop heart disease later in life, potentially prolonging it for more years to come.
In a news release dated Oct 6, 2015, the University of Virginia (UVA) Health Systems advises that they’ve come up with a test that takes into account several heart disease factors, potentially identifying the likelihood that young adults will develop heart disease when they get older.
Created by Dr. Mark DeBoer with the UVA Department of Pediatrics and Dr. Matthew Gurka with West Virginia University’s School of Public Health, this test focuses primarily on factors associated with metabolic syndrome.
Essentially, this means that it looks at the teen’s blood pressure, blood sugar, level of abdominal fat, and cholesterol, and it determines the risk according to where the teen scores. It also takes into consideration other factors such as race and gender.
The hope is that having this type of information at an early age will motivate the teens to make positive lifestyle choices, thereby ultimately living a longer and healthier life. Because being overweight is associated with all of these metabolic syndrome conditions, finding a way to shed excess pounds is often a great first step.
One way for teens to achieve and maintain a healthier weight is to spend less time in front of the computer or television and more time being active. KidsHealth provides some great fitness options for those ages 13 to 18. These include skipping the bus and walking to school if you live close enough, assigning them physical household chores, and even playing sports if they’re interested.
It also helps to stock your fridge and cupboards with healthy foods that kids will actually eat. Some options to consider include yogurt, peanut butter and bananas, and a homemade pizza that they can make on their own with just a pita, pizza sauce, and low-fat mozzarella cheese. Although it may be tempting to cut out all of their favorite higher fat foods in the name of future health, research has found that taking this route can sometimes have negative consequences.
In fact, one study published in Biological Psychology discovered that depriving college-aged students of food and then showing them pictures of food items caused significant physical reactions—their heart rate increased as did their startle reflex—when compared to those not deprived prior to viewing the photos.
Instead, aim to teach them that all foods have a place in their diet and not-so-healthy foods should be considered “treats” and kept to a minimum. Learning this early on will help them as they get older and face other potential weight gaining times in their life, like when they go to college, allowing them to successfully avoid the “Freshman 15.”