http://www.thelighterweigh.com/
The American Academy of Pediatrics came out with some controversial guidelines this week. I will summarize them for you:
1) All children should follow a healthy diet, including low-fat dairy products for all children older than 2 years. Reduced fat dairy products should also be used in children age 12 months to 2 years who have a family history of overweight, high cholesterol levels, or heart disease and in children age 12 months to 2 years who themselves are overweight.
2) Children and teens with a higher risk of heart disease and with high LDL ("bad cholesterol") levels include NUTRITIONAL COUNSELING, diet changes, and increased physical activity.
3) Children with a family history of high cholesterol or early heart disease, children whose family history is unknown, and children with other risk factors such as overweight, high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, or diabetes, should have their cholesterol levels tested with a fasting blood test between the ages of 2 and 10. Children with normal values should be rechecked every 3 to 5 years.
If lipid levels are high, weight management treatment should begin (NUTRITIONAL COUNSELING) and increased physical activity.
Children age 8 years and older who have an EXTREMELY high LDL level should consider cholesterol-lowering medications.
Let me explain why this is so controversial.
1) We don't know the long term side effects of these medications in children.
2) We don't know for sure that these medications will decrease the incidence of heart disease in children. Cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease and the medications do lower cholesterol- but do they actually decrease the risk of heart disease?
We do know that to date, these medications are safe in adults. We do know that in middle-aged men with high cholesterol, these medications decrease the risk of heart disease. Evidence does not clearly show that they decrease the risk of heart disease in women and there have been no studies in children.
So the question is: if diet and exercise are not enough, should we try these medications in children and hope they do more good than harm, or do we let these children continue to have dangerously high cholesterol levels? Pediatricians are very divided on this issue.
Before I share my thoughts, I would like to hear some of yours.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
3 comments:
many meds = bad.
unnecessary meds in children = very bad.
I'm just going to give you my very honest opinion here. The major part of the problem lies here.
1) All children should follow a healthy diet, including low-fat dairy products for all children older than 2 years. Reduced fat dairy products should also be used in children
They talk about "healthy diet" but then go off on the dairy. I feel that it is one of the big reasons there is all the trouble. Children simply consume to much of it. I think the focus should be on the fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds. And really limit the amount of dairy since that is where the cholesterol is coming from. Sorry that's just the way my mind works.
I'm right with you about not wanting to put them on the drugs! Even if they were proven to be safe for children would they take care of the cause or just the symptom?
Cholesterol can be friend or it may turn into a foe, so it is important to know what it is and how it affects our body? Instead of giving drugs to children it is better to make them follow health food habits. As we uncertain of the side effects, it is better to avoid them.
Learning how to manage ones blood cholesterol levels can help one lead a stronger, happier life.Use the link to know more http://www.obesityweightlosssurgery.com/category_story_113.html
Post a Comment