But gradual weight loss through diet and exercise can keep at-risk kids from following their parents path. When it comes to teenagers, smoking is another major risk factor that the clinic s professionals look to curb. As with weight, they urge gradual reduction in the amount a teen smokes each day making it easier to quit for the long term. All in all, both doctors say, the clinic puts the emphasis on working with at-risk kids, teens and parents to stop heart problems before they start. It is much easier to change those lifestyle habits to learn a healthy diet and to learn exercise habits during childhood, says Goldberg.
Childhood is the time to begin to prevent adult-onset cardiovascular disease.
The percentage of American kids aged 6-11 who are overweight ranges from 9.2 percent to 17.4 percent. The rates are only slightly lower for ages 12-17. An estimated 1.1 million Americans will have a new or recurrent heart attack this year, and about one-third will die from them.