Children's Health

Obese Kids Who Lose Weight May Cut Heart Risk, Too

Finding the Riskiest Kids

Pediatrics professor Albert Rocchini, MD, of the University of Michigan agrees.

In an editorial published with the review, Rocchini writes that successful efforts to keep children from becoming obese would pay off in both future health and health care savings.

He notes that if the goal is to reduce the incidence of heart disease and related health care costs, "now is the time to do whatever it takes to develop more effective methods for both the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity."

Rocchini, who directs the division of cardiology at the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, recommends targeting prevention efforts to children at high risk for obesity and their caregivers.

"We have a pretty good idea who the high-risk kids are," he tells WebMD. "We need to do a better job of working with these kids and their caregivers to give them the strategies and opportunity to be successful."