Heart disease risk of adolescent obesity highlighted by new study

Obese adolescents of all racial backgrounds are at an elevated risk of developing heart disease in early adulthood, a new study has demonstrated.

The King's College London research aimed to track obesity levels and test the impact on cardiovascular health from adolescence into early adulthood, with the specific aim of studying ethnic differences in levels of risk.

It was shown that although young people of black Caribbeans and black African descent were more likely to be overweight or obese than their white peers, the risk of developing heart disease correlated to obesity in early adolescence regardless of ethnicity and gender.

The results also suggested a susceptibility to obesity may exist in ethnic minorities, potentially due to an acceleration in growth from a young age. This is an important observation, as most previous studies tracking growth from childhood focused on white Europeans.

Lead author Professor Seeromanie Harding from King's College London said: "We urgently need to look at ways to prevent a diminishing peak of health in the upcoming generation of teens who will also face an economic recession, known to detrimentally affect their wellbeing."

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