Eating too many calories and not getting enough exercise contributes to being overweight. Obesity which is on the rise among U.S. adolescents is associated with other important cardiovascular risk factors, including high LDL cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes. As part of the strategy to move young, people from the couch, the AHA and the American Academy of Pediatrics urge that children s TV viewing be limited to no more than 2 hours a day. Smoking contributes to more deaths than any other risk factors. Secondhand smoke is linked to increased risk of heart disease, cancer, asthma, infant pneumonia and respiratory failure in nonsmokers.
Children are more likely to smoke if their parents or friends smoke.
The more risk factors your have the greater your chance is for developing heart disease. Risk factors also have a cumulative effect over time. The fewer your risk factors and the shorter the time during which you are affected, the less likely you are to have to deal with the consequences down the road. Another way to involved the entire family is to sign up for the McF.I.T.N.E.S.S. Challenge 99. You will receive a T-shirt and a packet of healthful information.