Preventive Medicine Needs to Begin with Our Children

DEAR EDITOR, The prevalence of obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has become so pervasive that for the first time, the current generation of children in the United States are not expected to live as long as their parents. Although CVD is typically associated with middle‐or old‐age, the atherosclerotic process often initiates early in childhood and is occurring at an increasing rate. There is a consensus that the current epidemic is founded upon changes to modifiable life‐style factors. Adverse changes in physical activity, nutrition, and sleep behavior have been strongly linked to the development of a host of cardio‐metabolic conditions, including obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. These conditions independently and additively increase CVD risk, even in children and adolescents. The increasing rate of sedentariness and decreasing rate of physical activity may lead to inadequate development of musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, endocrine, and cardiovascular systems. The result is that today’s children and adolescents are not only becoming pre‐conditioned for CVD, but are also, due to developmental issues, unable to achieve the level of health achieved by their parents. By only focusing on the clinical manifestations of CVD that is “reactive” medicine, we are tackling the problem too late. Public Institute of Food Nutrition and Human Health, Massey University, New Zealand, 1School of Sport and Exercise, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand, 2Department of Social Sciences, Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Sport, Lincoln University, New Zealand Correspondence to: Dr. Danielle M. Lambrick, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health, Private Bag 756, Massey University, Wellington 6140, New Zealand. E‐mail: [email protected] Date of Submission: Dec 21, 2012