Schoolchildren 'show heart risk'

Children are eating too much, exercising too little

Many schoolchildren in a US survey are showing physical changes which could mean they are more likely to develop diabetes or heart disease.

The study, in North Carolina, further adds to fears that modern lifestyles could lead to an explosion in ill health later in life.

Many children were obese, had high blood pressure or had potentially dangerous levels of cholesterol.

Together, these may lead to a syndrome linked in adults to heart disease.

The warning, presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association, comes as the UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) published evidence of the many ways that "unhealthy" food is promoted to children.

Childhood obesity is rated as one of the most significant threats to future adult health in western society, and evidence is emerging that teenagers are well on the way to developing diabetes.

The US study was not carried out in a city, but in a rural area of North Carolina, and involved more than 3,000 schoolchildren aged between eight and 17.

These were regular, normal kids, but we found risk factors that are clear danger signs for the future Professor Joanne Harrell, Univeristy of North Carolina

They were tested for a variety of physical markers which have been linked to "metabolic syndrome".

When adults have metabolic syndrome, it is a clear sign that they are at risk of heart disease or diabetes in the future.

The tests included measures of blood pressure, the ability of the body to deal properly with blood sugar, increased levels of insulin and low levels of the so-called "good" cholesterol in the blood.

Worrying statistics

In total more than 42% of the children had this cholesterol problem, one in four was overweight, while high levels of insulin in the blood were found in more than 16% of the children.

High blood pressure was less common, occurring in only just under 8% of the sample, while glucose intolerance - linked to the development of diabetes, was present in fewer than one in 20.

One in eight of the children had three or more of these risk factors in combination.

However, researcher Professor Joanne Harrell, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said that the findings were worrying.

She said: "These were regular, normal kids, but we found risk factors that are clear danger signs for the future.

"If nothing is done, a good number of these children could develop type 2 diabetes and heart disease."

Weigh-ins

Dr Mitch Blair, who specialises in pre-school child health screening, said that it was important to measure the health of schoolchildren to both give doctors an idea of the scale of the problem in the UK, and to allow rapid intervention in those whose health gave cause for concern.

He told BBC News Online: "What we are pushing for is for every schoolchild to have their height and weight measured at age five - and then regularly afterwards - so that we have national data on obesity.

"The real key, however, is prevention - once a child is obese, there is some evidence that suggests it will be very difficult to reverse that."

The real key, however, is prevention - once a child is obese, there is some evidence that suggests it will be very difficult to reverse that Dr Mitch Blair, child health specialist

To that end, the FSA released a report on Sunday detailing the tactics of food manufacturers in targeting children through advertising and promotions.

Sir John Krebs, its chairman, said: "We already know that many children's diets contain more fat, sugar and salt than is recommended.

"We know that the level of obesity in children is rising and, in the words of the Chief Medical Officer, is a health time bomb that could explode.

"By 2010 it could cost £3.6 billion a year and be a very significant factor in the ill health of thousands of people and their families."

Possible healthy moves

The FSA's suggested "policy options" included targeting advertisements for healthy foods more directly at children, or forcing manufacturers to offer low fat, salt and sugar recipes in their children's brands, the removal of vending machines in publicly-funded venues used by children - and even trying to make sure characters in children's TV dramas ate healthily.

The FSA is thought to be considering backing a ban on food adverts aimed at pre-school children, and widespread restrictions on the content of food advertising aimed at children.

It also wants improvement in labelling of foods aimed at children.

In the past 10 years obesity in six-year-olds has doubled - overweight adolescents have a 70% chance of being overweight as adults.