Heart health... a family affair

Jeff Broddle | Cadillac News Branden Colberg makes the snow fly as he snowboards down Diggins Hill in Cadillac. Although most people donŐt make the connection between kids and cholesterol, experts say the basics apply to children too Ń they should get plenty of exercise and eat right.

Here’s the shocker. Between 30 and 50 percent of American children have elevated cholesterol levels.

There’s a powerful trio of factors placing children’s lives at risk, but with awareness and effort, parents can provide protection from heart disease and increase their children’s chances for a long and healthy life.

”The American Academy of Pediatrics is working to have everyone tested,” said Dr. Ronald Grifka, Chief of Cardiology at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.

“Getting cholesterol build-up in the arteries at a young age can cause stroke and heart attacks, down the line. But it is not calcified until you get into your 20s. Kids can be spared.”

Today’s children are less active, foods are less nutritious and they carry excess pounds, all three factors that set the stage for cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association.

For children younger than 12, treatment for elevated cholesterol levels focuses on diet and exercise, according to Grifka.

Experts say a child is never too young to benefit from a heart-healthy lifestyle.

“Heart disease starts in childhood. That’s when your food habits are formed,” said Shannon Lindquist, MSU Extension Family and Consumer Science educator for Osceola County. “You couple that with genetics. If you’re not eating in a healthy way, it’s hard to change habits when you’re older.”

Lindquist coordinates a gardening nutrition project aimed at helping families discover the benefits of growing their own produce. Grants provide participating families with plants, a hose, shovel, hand tools, rake, hoe and advice from master gardeners.

Lisa Conley’s family signed on and discovered the experience set a course for positive long-term lifestyle changes for her family.

“Last year when we grew a lot of our own produce it got the kids into trying different foods,” Conley said. “They were proud of what they grew. We were eating healthier from our own backyard. All around, it made everybody feel like we were eating healthier.”

The family garden provided other physical and emotional benefits.

“It’s more work than it looks like,” Conley said. “It’s nice to get outside and do it. The fresh air helped more than anything.”

For the young family, the garden became a ritual connecting them to the wonders of nature and the world — and each other.

“We’d all go out in the morning with our rubber boots on and see what was coming up — or wasn’t,” Conley said. “It was our meeting place.”

The Conleys intend to plant a larger garden with more vegetable varieties this season to continue growing their healthy family lifestyle and it’s just what the doctor ordered.

“The No. 1 thing is you have to have a good diet,” Grifka said. “And you have to stay active.”

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