Because Mississippi has the highest rate of obesity in the nation, the American Heart Association (AHA) is focusing on building awareness about decreasing the rate of childhood obesity in the metro Jackson area.

 

On Aug. 1, the Mississippi chapter of AHA will host Go Health Challenge at Metrocenter Mall in Jackson, which invites children to complete several physical activity and nutrition challenges to receive prizes, such as backpacks stuffed with school supplies.

 

The annual event has grown substantially in recent years. In 2007, more than 750 children participated in the event, which more than 1,500 area residents attended. Last year, nearly 1,000 children participated; more than 2,000 residents attended. This year, an even larger crowd is anticipated, with more than 2,000 children expected to participate in the event.

 

"Childhood obesity is one of our nation's leading health threats," saidAnnette Low, MD, medical director of the Comprehensive Weight Management Center at Central Mississippi Medical Center (CMMC), noting the AHA targets the African American and underserved communities, where the childhood obesity rates remain the highest, yet health insurance coverage is among the lowest ratio for that segment of the population. "Nationwide, 11 million kids are overweight, and an additional 13 million are at risk for being overweight. As a result, more and more kids are developing conditions and diseases that we would normally associate with adults – like high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and type-2 diabetes."

 

Initiatives that highlight the importance of healthy lifestyles are critical especially in Mississippi, which has one of the highest obesity prevalence rates in the nation for both adults and children, said Low, as well as a very high burden in obesity related diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.

 

"We know that overweight or obese children grow up to be overweight or obese adults," said Low. "Healthy habits must be introduced at an early age in order for those habits to become part of a person's every day life. Programs such as the Go Healthy Challenge are important for communities, because they help families access quality information on healthy lifestyles. Most parents are challenged by time and budget constraints that may lead to less healthy choices in family food choices or activity level. It's important to be able to share with them easy options they can readily adapt to their regular routine.

 

"It's also important to recognize that obesity intervention must involve the whole family. The environment is a major contributing factor in causing overweight or obese conditions, and so helping parents learn to create a healthier home environment is absolutely vital."

 

In May, the AHA released results of a study, funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, showing that teenagers and young adults who are obese or have type 2 diabetes display signs of artery damage that may increase their risk of heart attack and stroke later in life.

 

"Because this damage is progressive and has started so early, this may be the first generation that has a shorter life expectancy than their parents," said Elaine Urbina, MD, lead author of the study and director of preventive cardiology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Heart Institute. 

 

Using non-invasive ultrasound imaging, researchers discovered that fatty plaque build-up in the arteries leading to the carotid arteries was thicker in young people with type 2 diabetes and those who were obese, compared to those who were lean. Stiffness of the carotid artery was also more significant among those with diabetes or obesity, compared to lean teenagers and young adults.

 

"It's scary that the arterial stiffness is just as bad in the obese youth as in those with type 2 diabetes," said Urbina, also an associate professor at the University of Cincinnati. "This functional damage may be occurring quite early in the disease process, and we hope to find out more by following these kids over time."

 

In adults, a greater carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) is associated with a risk of future stroke and is an indicator that plaque is building up in arteries throughout the body, including the coronary arteries nourishing the heart muscle. 

 

Because adolescents and young people are becoming obese and developing type 2 diabetes at an alarming rate, the condition is no longer called adult-onset diabetes, noted Urbina, adding that prior to the study, limited information existed on whether children with risk factors for heart disease began developing plaque build-up and hardening of the arteries. 

 

This study was unique because it found vascular damage in a large population of young people, alerting healthcare providers to address cardiovascular risk factors at an early age to prevent an increase in stroke and heart attack in later years.

 

Insufficient information exists on the normal range of carotid measurements in children to offer the tests outside of research studies. However, children who are obese or have type 2 diabetes should have a thorough assessment of traditional heart disease risk factors and be treated accordingly, Urbina said.