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Can inactive, unfit, unhealthy kids turn themselves around and be fit and healthy adults?
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A long term study in Norway has been following 1,000 volunteers who first entered the study in 1979 They were children then. In this study, which has just been published in the journal, Pediatrics, all of the study’s volunteers were checked for cardiovascular disease risks when they went into the study. The children were about 13. This is what is called a longitudinal study and as long as the kids were picked randomly studies this good don't come along too often.
These children were looked at again at about the ages of 15, 25, 33 and 44 years. The findings of this study are a bit strange given that we have higher obesity rates and less activity in our kids. 
At the beginning of the study it seemed to make sense that the less activity the kids got the chance of obesity and high blood press (both risk factors for heart disease) rose.
- The really interesting part is that by the time the kids became 40 years old there was no longer any correlation between the level of physical fitness and physical activity and whether they had heart disease as adults!
Obviously not all studies are perfect but one this long would seem to be accurate. However don't jump to any quick conclusions and say that it is just fine if our kids are overweight at young ages because it makes no difference. That is probably not what the researchers are saying or want to convey.
We know without a doubt that kids who are not active truly are at risk for becoming obese and that obesity can cause heart disease. We know this but what is more likely about this study is is that the heart disease risks found in younger ages can be turned around by middle age.
- So what I hope you take away from this piece is that the assumption (and more research will have to be done) that these children "get healthy." They start eating better and they start getting fit so they won't die young or grow up to be unhealthy adults.
Happy Valentine's Day and take care of that heart! Eat healthfully and exercise. Come back often to read my articles!
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