A world-first international collaborative study involving
Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and the Menzies Research
Institute, Tasmania has shown that the association between
childhood obesity and cardiovascular risk is reduced when obese
children become non-obese as adults.
The results of the study were published in the prestigious
international journal,The New England Journal of Medicine.
Cardiovascular disease affects more than 3.4 million
Australians, with one in six Australians affected.
Previous research has shown that overweight or obese children
who are obese as adults have an increased risk of type 2 diabetes,
high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels, and
cardiovascular disease.
However, it was not previously clear whether the association
between childhood obesity and cardiovascular risk persists when
overweight or obese children become non-obese as adults.
Professor Terry Dwyer, who was chair of the steering committee
for the global study, from Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
says the study demonstrates that it's never too late for children
to get into shape.
"These findings reinforce the concept that it is worthwhile
helping overweight children to reach a normal weight as they become
adults."
Menzies' Professor Alison Venn, investigator on the Australian
arm of the study says the research found the disease risks among
overweight or obese children who became non-obese by adulthood were
similar to those among persons who were never obese.
"The good news is that this shows that childhood obesity does
not permanently increase cardiovascular risk if obesity in
adulthood is avoided" Professor Venn said.
"However, preventing obesity at all ages is still the key
message, as very few obese children became non-obese in
adulthood."
The study looked at long-term follow-up data of over 6,000
people in three countries. Over an interval of almost 25 years,
only 15 per cent of children who were of normal weight were obese
as adults, whereas 82 per cent of those who were obese as children
were obese as adults.
This study was also conducted in collaboration with the
University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Finland.
The study analysed data from four large studies of
cardiovascular risk factors that have followed children
participants into adulthood; the Bogalusa Heart Study (United
States), the Muscatine Study (United States), The Childhood
Determinants of Adult Health Study (Australia) and the
Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study (Finland).