Heart disease: prevention begins in childhood

Prevention of heart disease by promoting a balanced diet starts in childhood, experts remind the "American Heart Association" (AHA) in an article published on the website of "Pediatrics" magazine.
Between 75 and 90% of heart diseases are associated, estimated to dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, lack of physical activity and obesity. However, poor diet is a major cause of these risk factors, the authors note in the study.

Samuel Gidding of the American Heart Association and his colleagues published a review article providing dietary recommendations for children and adolescents to health professionals.

The authors recommend breastfeeding infants for at least 4-6 months to introduce juice in limited quantity from 6 months. At 2 years, the nutritional recommendations for children are found similar to those issued for adults. The authors note, however, that parents remain solely responsible for the choice of food and the rhythms of their children's meals. They also recommend that parents avoid forcing children to eat or prohibit certain foods.

The main recommendations of the AHA for young children (2 to 6 years) are:

- Encourage intake of fruits and vegetables,

- Limit foods rich in energy and nutritionally poor such as salty snacks, ice cream, fried foods, cakes and sugary drinks,

- Prefer dairy products low in fat,

- Provide meal portions adapted to the age and size of the child,

- Limit sedentary behaviors within one to two hours of TV or video games a day,

- Promote family meals.

After 6 years, due to social and family constraints, the risk of harmful eating behaviors such as consumption of "fast food" increases, said the authors. At the time of adolescence, this risk is amplified, they add.