AUGUSTA, Ga., Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Children with more fat around their midsections may be at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease later in life, U.S. researchers say.
The study, published in the International Journal of Pediatric Obesity, suggests clinical measurement of the waist may help identify the children most likely to develop the warning signs of cardiovascular disease.
In the study sample of 188 obese children ages 7-11, those with a waist circumference above the 90th percentile were three times more likely to have high triglycerides -- fat particles in the blood -- and nearly four times more likely to have lower levels of high density lipoproteins – "good cholesterol." They were also 3.7 times more likely to have high fasting insulin levels -- a diabetes precursor.
"While general obesity certainly has its own set of risks for the heart, we now know that all fat is not created equally," Dr. Reda Bassali of the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine says in a statement.
"Unfortunately, we don't have a real explanation why some people gain weight in the center of their body and others gain it, for instance, in their thighs. It could be environmental. It could be genetic. It could be a combination of the two."
