Overweight children risk heart disease

Chubby children are running the risk of getting heart disease in later life.

Youngsters between the age of 9 and 12 years with a high body mass index (BMI) are more likely to have high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood insulin levels upon reaching adolescence.

The study published on the British Medical Journal website, comes from the Bristol based Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC).

More than 5,000 children took part in the study led by University of Bristol professor Debbie Lawlor.

Whilst it is already known that childhood obesity is linked to a higher likelihood of heart disease in later life, this is the first time a link has been found between fat mass during childhood and heart disease risk factors at age 15.

Children who lose the weight by the time they reach their mid-teens were found to have better heart disease risk profiles than those who didn’t.