Kids & Cholesterol: Take This Quiz

posted January 12, 2009
  by Christine Gable, Kiddie Chow

If you’re like me, reading yet another article about childhood obesity and its detrimental health effects is going to put you into overload mode. Seems like every newspaper, magazine and TV newsflash is shouting the bad news: there’s been a dramatic rise in childhood obesity in the past decade. A recent article from The Daily News stated that over 30 percent of kids in the United States fall into this category. And along with that comes diseases associated with overweight conditions: diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

So in the interest of keeping your (and your kids’) attention, here’s a little 8-question quickie quiz. Check if you’re up to par on your basic cholesterol facts. After all, knowing the basics is half the battle in making smart daily choices. Go ahead—see if you know the correct answers, and then grab your kids. The answers are at the end—along with some easy-to-follow dietary recommendations.

1. True or False: It’s not necessary to have your children’s cholesterol level checked until they are 18 years of age.

2. True or False: It’s important to eat dairy or meat occasionally so that the body takes in enough cholesterol.

3. True or False: Fruits, vegetables and grains do not contain any cholesterol.

4. Which of the following foods contain cholesterol: egg yolks, cow’s milk, cheese, ice cream, meat, poultry and seafood.

5. True or False: Cholesterol combines with proteins to travel through the bloodstream and go where the body needs it.

6. True or False: Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are the ones that can build up on the walls of the arteries and lead to the build-up of plaque.

7. True or False: High-density lipoproteins (HDL) is known as “good cholesterol” since it carries cholesterol through the body and back to the liver to be processed.

8. Which one is the most important contributor to high cholesterol levels:

• Diet
• Heredity
• Obesity


Answers:

1. False. While cholesterol problems can be slow in making their appearance known, sometimes years, it’s vital to have your kids’ cholesterol levels checked if they are overweight or if there’s a family history of high cholesterol or premature heart disease.

2. False. The liver makes enough cholesterol (about 1,000 mg) each day to maintain healthy bodily function. It’s not necessary to eat additional for smooth functioning.

3. True. These are the foods that are important to include in the diet daily—choose a wide variety and enjoy all the colors of the rainbow.

4. All of these. These are all animal-based foods and they contain varying amounts of cholesterol, so it’s best to stay within the recommended daily guidelines for consumption.

5. True. Cholesterol needs to combine with proteins to travel—and that combination is known as lipoproteins. It’s these lipoproteins in their low-density (LDL) and high-density (HDL) form that we hear mentioned in the news.

6. True. It’s the LDL level that should be less than 110 in children ages 2 years to 19 years old. It’s these low-density lipoproteins that cause blood vessels to become stiffer and more narrow—and eventually can become blocked. Borderline LDL is in the 110 to 129 range, with levels over 130 considered high.

7. True. It’s the HDL that can actually help remove cholesterol since it helps carry it back to the liver where cholesterol is actually processed and removed from the body. High levels of HDL can help protect the circulatory system but levels that are too high increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

8. All three! Yes, diet is important—one that’s high in saturated and trans fats can contribute heavily to high cholesterol. Heredity is important too: If your parent has high cholesterol, your chance is greatly increased. And last but certainly not least, obesity can result from a poor diet and lack of exercise—and exercise is vital for maintaining a healthy weight and feeling good.


So, are you left wondering what to cook up that’s going to help keep your kids cholesterol in check? You can’t go wrong with this list:

• Serve plenty of fruits and vegetables at each meal.
• Include whole grains and beans as an alternative to meat and potatoes.
• When serving meat, choose lean cuts.
• If your crew likes fish, serve it once or twice a week.
• Try soy: tofu, tempeh and other vegetarian-based soy foods are heart-healthy.
• Stock non- or low-fat dairy products: yogurt, milk, cheese and frozen yogurt or light ice cream.
• Use healthy oils instead of shortening and solid fats: olive oil, canola and safflower are great.

And last but certainly not least, get moving. It’s not just what’s on your plate. Exercise is a huge contributor (or detractor) to overall health and has been found to boost HDL levels in the blood. Current recommendations recommend at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day for kids 2 years old and up.


Next week: Leftovers in a Can?

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