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Tackling Health Risks in Teens & Young Adults

Hypertension on the Rise in Younger People

Traditionally, high blood pressure has been considered an adult disease, not a condition common among young adults or teens. However a new study (1) reports that nearly 1 in 5 younger adults have blood pressure readings that meet the definition of hypertension. Alarmingly, only about ¼ of those with high blood pressure in the study were aware that they had it.

Researchers from the University of North Carolina analyzed data on more than 14,000 younger adults aged 24-32, and found that 19% had blood pressure readings higher than 140/90. Previous estimates were about 4% in this age group. The study authors believe that the obesity epidemic is behind their findings, because hypertension is strongly associated with overweight. Due to the huge increase in obesity among children and teens, many experts warn that high blood pressure is now a significant health concern for them as well.

Tips for Fighting Overweight

One of the key reasons that many kids & teens carry around extra pounds is lack of physical activity, plain and simple. Of course the right eating plan can pay big dividends too. Have an overweight young person in your family? Here are some resources that can help:

• Explore the government website www.letsmove.gov/ for ‘how to’ information and motivational tools.
• On that same website, or at www.MyPlate.gov, you’ll find information on the new graphic designed to show what portions of foods make for healthy eating. Replacing the harder to understand Food Pyramid, the “plate” (see picture) is great for teens in that it’s simple, and it doesn’t say what you have to eat or what you can’t eat. And you don’t have to worry about portion sizes – just follow the pro-portions, use an 8” plate, and you’ve got it made.
• For a more structured dietary approach, try this site which gives practical advice about the DASH diet (Dietary Approach to Stop Hyper-tension). Richer in potassium, magnesium, calcium, protein, and fiber compared to the typical diet, DASH has not only been shown to lower blood pressure, it may help teens stay slim as well. A newly published study (2) found that adolescent girls (aged 9-19) whose food intake most resembled DASH, had the smallest gains in body mass index (BMI) over 10 years, and the lowest BMIs at the end of the follow-up period.

Also keep in mind that teens can benefit from a calcium, magnesium and vitamin D supplement, if they’re not meeting recommended intakes from food alone. And although the evidence for fish oil reducing blood pressure is preliminary, a fish oil supplement is probably a good idea for those who shy away from fish.

Higher Protein Breakfast May Cut Snacking

While everyone knows that eating breakfast is important, it’s estimated that 60% of teens regularly skip this meal. A recent study (3) that monitored brain signals associated with motivation and eating behavior among obese teen girls, found differences in those signals 3 hours after eating a high protein breakfast.

Passing up breakfast has been associated with unhealthy snacking, overeating and weight gain. These findings provide more evidence that a higher intake of protein at this meal can be a valuable strategy to help control appetite and regulate food intake.

References

1. 1. Nguyen QC, et al. Discordance in national estimates of hypertension among young adults. Epidemiol 22:532-541, 2011.
2. Berz JP, et al. Use of a DASH food group score to predict excess weight gain in adolescent girls in the National Growth and Health Study. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 165:540-46, 2011.
3. Leidy HJ, et al. Neural responses to visual food stimuli after a normal vs. higher protein breakfast in breakfast-skipping teens. Obesity [ePub May, 2011].