Sugar, Salt, and Sitting Around: The Perfect Combo for Shortening Kids' Lives

Think your kids don't eat that much sugar or salt, or that they eat enough healthful foods to make up for it? A sobering new study about teen hearts hit us YOU Docs hard. If there are young VIPs in your life, it will rock you, too. Today’s teens are developing heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes at a younger age than any generation before them. After 40 years of improvements in America’s heart health, they're likely to live shorter lives than their parents.

There’s no way to sugarcoat this. More than 70% of teens studied already had one or more of these red flags: high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high triglycerides (a menacing blood fat), low levels of healthy HDL cholesterol, and lots of excess pounds.

How did kids' health problems get so big they need their own ZIP code? Blame the four S's:

• Sugar: About 30% of teens’ daily calories now come from sugary drinks and snacks.
• Salt: Kids eat more blood pressure-boosting sodium than any other age group. These tips can change that.
• Skipping the good stuff: Only about 20% eat enough whole grains or five servings of fruit and veggies a day.
• Sitting around (usually staring at screens): Just 20% get an hour of physical activity per day, the minimum for good health.

"Okay, YOU Docs," we hear you saying, "What can I do?" Truth is, we know what really keeps kids’ hearts healthy -- and it's not lectures and weigh-ins. Kids click with what you do, not with what you say. Don’t shame them about their weight or waist size, ever. Focus on positives and their health. Walk the walk, and start with the basics.

1. Get every kid's cholesterol checked (yours, too). Heart-health experts now recommend that all kids have a cholesterol test between age 9 and 11 and again between 17 and 21. Out-of-whack numbers (e.g., total cholesterol over 189, LDLs over 119, triglycerides over 114, healthy HDLs below 45) mean it’s time for the whole family to eat smarter and move more. Few kids need cholesterol-lowering medications.
2. Know your kid's blood pressure (your own, too). Healthy blood pressure numbers vary with a child’s age. Your pediatrician can tell you if your child’s are fine or need improvement. Though drugs are rarely needed, knowing your child’s blood pressure can help you gauge whether it’s time for a lifestyle YOU-turn at home. Teach your kids the skills they need to know, including how to deal with stress.
3. Change your menu. Today. Don’t wait for a test. Few teens get even half the cholesterol-lowering fiber they need. Serving up more fiber-rich fruit, veggies, and whole grains is a great place to start. Toss walnuts and raisins on oatmeal or Cheerios, and keep apples and oranges on the counter. Make sandwiches with 100% whole-wheat bread, sprinkle veggies with almonds at dinner, and buy whole-wheat pasta. Also serve water, nonfat milk, or iced tea instead of sugary soft drinks. Lead the way! Dealing with a picky eater? Here's help.
4. Downshift on pizza and other salt bombs. The single largest source of sodium in teen diets is pizza, so make it a once-a-month treat -- and start with a big salad so a couple of slices fills 'em up. Cutting back on salt now will cut your teens’ risk for high blood pressure later by 63%. Got a kid who loves to cook? Try making 100% whole-wheat pizza together. Just use low-salt sauce and tons of vegetables. Try these 3 ways to whet kids' appetite for veggies.
5. Turn off the TV and get moving. Play backyard soccer, hit the playground, go skating, or break out Wii Fit or a dance-along video (get ready to sweat!). Simply cutting in half your family’s staring-at-TV time will help everyone burn calories and build muscle (and body confidence). It will also help all of you sidestep colon and breast cancer. Sitting around has just been strongly linked to both.
6. Put some experts (us!) in your corner. Give kids our just-for-them book, YOU: The Owner's Manual for Teens. It's written in kid-speak. Find tips at HealthCorps, a national program started by Dr. Oz and his wife, Lisa, to fight childhood obesity. Turn your kid on to teenDailyStrength, a site we’ve developed that supports teens trying to make healthful choices. There's a grown-up version, too. Just in case.

Start your kids' day off with breakfast cereals that are good for their hearts -- and yours.