Does your child have high cholesterol? You may be shocked at the answer. Experts who are tracking cholesterol levels in kids believe that this could be a major under-reported public health problem.
A child with high cholesterol levels can develop coronary artery disease, stroke, and heart disease later in life.
Should I Have My Child's Cholesterol Levels Checked?
Your child's pediatrician will want to check your child's cholesterol levels if:
- you or your spouse have a total cholesterol level higher than 240.
- there is a history of heart disease in family members younger than 55.
- your child is overweight or obese.
If all these risk factors are present, your child should be screened for cholesterol, starting when he or she is two years old. The American Heart Association recommends that a child between the ages of two and 19 should have a total cholesterol level below 170.
What Should I Do If My Child's Cholesterol is Too High?
First of all, don't panic. If your child's cholesterol levels are too high, the chances are that yours or your spouse's are too. If you haven't already had your cholesterol checked, do it so you'll know where you all stand.
Changing your diet can be hard, and you'll probably meet with resistance. It can be hard for kids to understand why they can't have their favorite snacks and meals anymore. You may need to move slowly, to avoid a full-scale rebellion.
Start replacing high-fat snacks with healthy foods. Raw veggies with low-fat dips, fresh fruit, and fat-free sugar-free yogurt are low in fat and cholesterol. Stop buying soda and sugary fruit juices. All that sugar translates into lots of calories, which becomes excess weight.
Eat more salads, with low-fat, natural dressings. Read the label, as some dressings are very high in fat. Add some grilled chicken or salmon to make it a meal. Oily cold-water fish like salmon, trout, and tuna contain lots of omega-3 fatty acids, which lower cholesterol.
Beans are known to lower cholesterol. Make a quick bean soup with a couple of cans of garbanzo beans, some low-fat, low-salt chicken broth, a few potatoes, and a couple of carrots. Toss in some lemon juice, cumin, and other spices to taste for a great low-fat supper. Add a green salad and a pita to make a complete meal.
Cut out the white flour products in favor of whole grain breads, pastas, and cereals. Oatmeal is known to lower cholesterol. Choose quick-cooking oatmeal, and top it with low-fat milk and fresh fruit.
Teach your children to make wise food choices. You can pack a healthy lunch, but if your child throws it away and hits the vending machines instead, it doesn't do him or her much good.
Get everyone off the couch and go outside. Go for walks together, ride your bikes to the park, pack a healthy picnic lunch and go for a hike. Play soccer or softball, or go fishing. Try to spend at least 30 minutes a day in some activity. Exercise not only helps to reduce cholesterol, but it will lower your stress levels as well. You may even drop a few pounds too.
Remember to have a treat once in a while. An occasional trip to a favorite fast-food restaurant isn't going to hurt anyone, and can be a good reward for sticking to a healthy diet most of the time.
By controlling your child's cholesterol and teaching him or her good health habits now, you'll be insuring a healthy future for your kids and grandkids.
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