According to a recent report from the Heart & Stroke Foundation, the current lifestyle of children aged 9 – 12 years, the so-called ‘tweens’, “could put them into the fast lane to developing heart disease and stroke as early as their 30s.” In today’s Canada, both heart disease and stroke occur at levels that should concern all of us. And the situation will probably continue to get worse as we see more of the behaviours that contribute to higher risk among our young people.

The risk factors for heart disease and stroke should already be familiar: smoking, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes. Of course, many of these are closely linked, but in combination, they can be even more dangerous.

The concern among health professionals and others is that young people are exhibiting behaviours that increase their risk of early heart disease. Smoking is one of the most worrying as the smoking rate among 15 – 19 year-olds continues to rise, particularly among young women. In fact, the proportion of youth who are current smokers increased to 29% in 1996-97, an increase of almost 40% over 1991 data.

Obesity is another of the trends threatening the health of young people. Estimates suggest that 25% of Canadian children are overweight, a condition associated with higher rates of mortality in adulthood. Typically, young children are more physically active but they reduce their activity level during their teens, particularly among young women.

Physical inactivity among kids is contributing to poor heart health. The Canadian Medical Association Journal showed that the average Canadian child is inactive for three to five hours a day in front of the television alone, not including the five to seven hours most children spend sitting in school five days a week. Encouraging young people to participate in sport, dance or any physical activity will improve their long-term chances for health.

To bring all this into perspective, consider the work of the heart muscle. In a one-minute period at 45-50 beats, a fit person’s heart will pump the same amount of blood as an inactive person’s does at 70-75 beats. That means that a well-conditioned heart will pump up to 36,000 times less in a day, or 13 million times less in a year. How’s that for mileage?

Prevention of heart disease and stroke should begin during childhood. Our efforts need to help children to not start smoking in the first place, and to protect them from second-hand smoke. We need to encourage youth to be physically active, a message that must be carried into schools. Similarly, healthy eating and food choices at home can help, but reinforcing the message with healthy food options at schools, community centres, theatres and other child-friendly places is another important part of teaching young people good habits from an early age.

By starting prevention efforts in childhood and helping children to make the right choices from the start, we can help them in their future with reduced risks of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes… with better lives.

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Call-out: “…a well-conditioned heart will pump up to 36,000 times less in a day, or 13 million times less in a year. How’s that for mileage?”